Taro

I was born in 1977 in Tokyo, Japan. My path into guiding in the nature and in the mountains started when I took one year gap year during my university years and travelled to New Zealand to really explore what I want to do with my life. I found working and living in the nature absolutely wonderful, whilst herding sheep everyday and enjoying the mountain food during and after work. This is where I also found that a lot of people didn’t know much about Japan and I came to realisation that I wanted to share the beauty of Japan with a lot of people!
After graduating university, I discovered and fell in love with Yakushima and was fully convinced that the nature and the lifestyle there, as well as becoming a nature guide there, is what I had been looking for all along. Since then I have based myself in Yakushima and have been guiding there ever since.

I am a JMGA Hiking Stage II certified mountain guide, as well as a member of Japan Canoe Federation, and certified with Technical Rope Rescue license.

I work together with a team of JMGA certified guides here, so it could be me or another certified guide who will guide you.

My joy is to meet and to speak with a lot of people to share the stories around the history and the nature of Yakushima, and also for people to know the Japan that I love. I look forward to meeting you all!!