Skip to main content
NEWS EVENT SPECIAL SERIES

Mountain-side culture created by Teruyuki Hikiji, producer of “Yama no Ie

2023.9.19

#OTHER

A circle of friends connected by gut touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.

On August 7, we will be joined by Teruyuki Hikiji, story creator of Mountain States Tokyo and producer of TAKAO MOUTAIN HOUSE, a mountain house at the foot of Mount Takao. We asked him about his motivation for focusing on Japan’s mountains and the appeal of mountains.

Transmitting mountain-side culture

Celeina (MC): First of all, let me introduce my profile. She is currently working to create a new value for the mountainside, aiming to make the mountainside a part of Shonan. This year, he was appointed as the brand manager of PARKS PROJECT JAPAN, and is also focusing on the protection of national parks.

Takano (MC): What do you mean by “Shonanization of the mountain side”?

Hikiji: This is an analogy I use when I tell people, but when I say Shonan or “let’s go to the beach,” 90% of people do not mean to go in the ocean.

Celeina: I understand a little when you say it.

Hikiji: In fact, the ocean has a very high location value, and I think the culture of spending time there is deeply rooted. However, I believe that 90% of the people who say, “Let’s go to the mountains,” are doing so for the purpose of climbing mountains.

Takano: There aren’t many places where you can listen to music and drink while looking at the mountains.

Hikiji: That’s right. Conversely, if you don’t climb mountains, you don’t go. I hope that there is a space on the mountain side where the culture and lifestyle of Shonan and the ocean side can be born.

Takano: This is a perspective I had not noticed before. What is it that you are actually doing?

Hikiji: At first, there was art such as photography, which is often found on the ocean side, in the sense of looking at the location. So, as a start, we started “making art on the mountain side.

Takano: Art on the mountain side?

Hikiji: The first project I started was to display mountain-side scenery as art in rooms and stores.

Celeina: Now that you mention it, mountains have not only soil and greenery, but also flowers and water elements such as rivers, so they have various colors.

Hikiji: That’s right. I think that when you decorate it, you can enjoy it as if you are looking out the window.

A mountain house, not a beach house

Celeina: What was it that attracted you to mountains?

Hikichi:I started out working for a company called GREENROOM, doing various activities on the ocean side, but I originally loved nature, and when I quit GREENROOM and came to the mountain side, I felt a gap, so I thought it would be interesting if the mountain side was opened up like the ocean side.

Celeina: And you created a “mountain house” instead of a beach house.

Hikiji: When I went to the ocean, there were beach houses, but there were no mountain houses on the mountain side. There are mountain huts, though.

Takano: They are different in function, aren’t they?

Hikiji: Yes, that’s right. So I wondered if I could create a place where people could enjoy the mountains more and communicate with each other, so I produced and opened Takao Mountain House last October at the foot of Mt.

Takano: By coincidence, I am going to climb Mt. Takao this weekend. I have no choice but to go there now.

Hikiji: It is right in front of the trailhead, just outside of Takaoyamaguchi Station, so please come visit us.

Takano: What kind of things does the TAKAO MOUTAIN HOUSE have to offer?

Hikiji: : We have an outdoor brand Salomon’s store, a deck terrace, and a cafe stand.

Celeina: You can even enjoy a cup of coffee.

Takano: I want to stop by both before and after the climb.

Hikiji: The concept is to have a cup of hand-drip coffee before climbing Mt. Takao, then have a craft beer on the way back and take the train home.

Celeina: Isn’t that the best course? It’s very fulfilling. I don’t go to the mountains much, so I don’t know, but is it hot this time of year?

Hikiji: Mt. Takao is only 599 meters above sea level, so it is hot, but there are some routes that are cooler, such as one with a stream running through it.

Celeina: I see, that sounds great!

Hikiji: Actually, Mt. Takao has the highest number of climbers in the world.

Takano/Celeina: Is that so?

Celeina: Why are there so many people?

Hikiji: Because you can get to the trailhead in 5 minutes after exiting the ticket gate, and it only takes about an hour from Shinjuku Station. I don’t think you can find such a mountain anywhere in the world. Please visit the mountain.

Mountain-side options not limited to mountain climbing

Takano: Do you have any memorable mountains?

Hikiji: I have climbed Tanigawa-dake and Tsubame-dake, but I am not so focused on mountaineering as I am on fishing, camping, and snowboarding.

Celeina: I see. I see. The leisure activities in the mountains are what you are talking about.

Hikiji: Yes, that’s right. Or spending time there or playing in the river, I like those things in themselves.

Celeina: I had never looked at it that way. I want to play in the mountains.

Takano: I felt that there are ways to spend time enjoying nature, not just climbing mountains. You were born in West Tokyo, weren’t you, Mr. Hikichi?

Hikiji: Yes, I was. I was born and raised in Hino, which is on the mountain side of Tokyo, and I spent my childhood playing in places like Mt. I felt a gap when I came back to the mountain side from the prosperous culture on the sea side, where there were many immigrants and companies moving into the area. I think it would be interesting if the mountainside culture could offer a variety of options and create a beach-like margin.

Takano: It would be great if the culture on the mountain side could flourish as well. Now, I would like to play a song here. I asked Hikichi-san to choose a song that he would like everyone to listen to together on the radio at this time. What song would it be?

Hikiji: An LA-based artist named Forester, as the name suggests, draws inspiration from nature in his songwriting. It is a very pleasant song that combines indie-folk genre and electro music.

https://open.spotify.com/intl-ja/track/2WISbzXSFVAJYo4D0bcThH?si=09bb115756de4233

RECOMMEND

NiEW’S PLAYLIST

NiEW recommends alternative music🆕

NiEW Best Music is a playlist featuring artists leading the music scene and offering alternative styles in our rapidly evolving society. Hailing from Tokyo, the NiEW editorial team proudly curates outstanding music that transcends size, genre, and nationality.

EVENTS