PLAY EARTH ADVENTURE provides experiential value through Japan’s world-renowned national parks and abundant natural environments as the platform. It is one of the projects we are currently focusing on under our “PLAY EARTH (playing with the planet)” concept, launched in 2021, which aims to create new relationships with nature and the global environment through recreational activities—the origin of sports.
Building on our strengths in monozukuri (the art of making things) in the sports and outdoor apparel business, we provide a fulfilling lifestyle that embraces nature. To that end, we are promoting the attractions and activities of national parks throughout Japan and introducing outdoor tours and environmental conservation events. Director COO Mori discusses our growth strategy, which is driven by the twin pillars of monozukuri and kotozukuri.
The Path Opened by the National Park Official Partnership Program with the Ministry of the Environment
The turning point that led our company to clearly identify kotozukuri as a business segment was the Play Earth Park concept, which is currently under development in Toyama Prefecture. When we confronted the question of “what we are providing,” we identified the importance of experiential value rather than simply constructing facilities.
“Simply building a park is not enough to attract customers, is it? What matters is what kind of experience we provide so that people want to visit the park repeatedly. With many customers now purchasing products through our online shop, kotozukuri is essential for increasing satisfaction among our approximately 3.5 million members company-wide and for expanding our membership base.” (Mori)
One initiative we have already begun for kotozukuri is the partnership concluded with the Ministry of the Environment in 2020 under the National Park Official Partnership Program. This all started with President and CEO Watanabe’s long-held desire to promote Japan’s national parks more widely. Watanabe empathized with the late Noriyoshi Kato (who passed away in 2013), Japan’s foremost long-trail pioneer, who wanted to raise awareness of Japan’s national parks. The project with national parks began as a customer touchpoint, under the initiative of the division managing the THE NORTH FACE brand, which had been supporting Mr. Kato. The project later evolved into a formal partnership agreement at the corporate level.
Today, we promote national parks and the experiences they offer through social media and other channels. We also distribute pamphlets to raise awareness of national parks at THE NORTH FACE self-operated stores in urban areas and at field shops close to nature in Shiretoko, Niseko, Hakuba, Tateyama, Matsumoto, Ishigaki, and other locations. As part of the National Parks of Japan, a project for promoting the sustainable conservation and use of national parks, we produce and sell national park-related products not only under THE NORTH FACE but also under Goldwin and HELLY HANSEN. We donate part of these sales to the Natural Parks Foundation (General Incorporated Association), integrating products and experiences.
Municipal Partnerships and Self-Operated Store Network
Our company extends beyond the Ministry of the Environment’s National Park Official Partnership Program to comprehensive partnership agreements with multiple municipalities, including: Hokuto City in Yamanashi Prefecture; Hakone and Hayama towns in Kanagawa Prefecture; Shari Town in Hokkaido, which is part of Shiretoko National Park; Taketomi Town in Okinawa Prefecture, home to Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park; and Toyama Prefecture, our founding location. However, the motive for these initiatives is not to strategically expand nationwide; rather, they came about naturally through our connections with people and communities.
“For example, Shari Town is a place that photographer Naoki Ishikawa, supported by THE NORTH FACE, regularly visits. Through various turns of events, we reached a comprehensive partnership agreement. We not only need to conserve national parks but also revitalize them by encouraging their use. By establishing comprehensive partnership agreements with municipalities, we can commit deeply to these regions. In addition to conserving these parks, we encourage many people to visit them and experience nature so that conservation and use are balanced.” (Mori)
Additionally, Mori says that self-operated stores serve as windows connecting regions with our company. Field shops such as THE NORTH FACE/HELLY HANSEN Shiretoko, THE NORTH FACE/HELLY HANSEN Ishigaki, and THE NORTH FACE Yakushima not only attract tourists but also serve as communication hubs with local residents, strengthening trust with municipalities.
Numerous Track Records Demonstrating That Experiences Build Brands
“Products and experiences are not separate things,” Mori emphasizes. Each brand has a history of expanding the customer base through sports events and interactions with nature: canterbury with rugby, HELLY HANSEN at sea, and THE NORTH FACE in the mountains. For example, THE NORTH FACE, whose business unit Mori has overseen for many years, sponsored the Endurance Run OSJ Hakone 50K, a 50 km trail race held in 2007 on the Hakone outer rim, and since then, it has continued supporting various events such as the Mt. FUJI 100 for over 15 years. This helped establish trail running culture in Japan, create new markets, and establish the brand’s presence.
Furthermore, since 2022, THE NORTH FACE has supported the Shonan International Marathon as a special sponsor. By introducing the My Bottle Marathon, which eliminated the provision of plastic bottles for participants and had all 25,000 of them bring their own bottles, they nearly eradicated marathon-related waste such as paper cups—a significant issue at sports events. We incorporated trail running elements, where participants are disqualified for littering, into road running, often viewed as the main battleground for other sports brands. Mori reflects, “By bringing outdoor thinking into road racing, we were able to provide new value to road racers.”
This approach of incorporating environmental considerations and brand identity into experiences is precisely an example of integrating products with experiences.
“Even before we explicitly promoted the terms kotozukuri and experience-focused business, our brands have been delivering experiential value through events. By experiencing nature, people remember its importance, and valuing it leads to environmental conservation, which ultimately connects to our corporate value. We want to increase the variety of high-quality experiences, such as memorable events and tours, so that people become fans of our products and brands. Just as we provide rainwear for comfortable experiences even in the rain, we help many people live enriched lives. Receiving compensation by providing wonderful experiences and making it viable as a business is a natural extension of what we’ve been doing.” (Mori)
That said, there is a significant difference between kotozukuri as brand marketing and commercializing experiences themselves to generate revenue. This is where Alpine Tour Service Co., Ltd., a mountainous nature experience tour operator that became our subsidiary in April 2025, shines. With Alpine Tour Service joining the group, their operational expertise in safety management and customer reach cultivated over many years can now be shared with us, creating a framework for providing high-quality experiences. “Tours in national parks have high customer satisfaction and high profitability,” Mori says.
Enhanced Brand Recognition and Corporate Value Achieved Through Experience-Focused Business
The value of experiences does not stop there. When our shop staff and customers share experiences through events and tours, it also produces significant effects.
“If our shop staff and customers go trekking together, they become much closer. Sharing experiences creates empathy, turning customers into fans.” (Mori)
Beyond a mere salesperson-customer relationship, these shared experiences serve as opportunities to connect brands with consumers. Many international tourists visit our stores. We plan to expand experiential offerings, previously centered on domestic customers, to international travelers as well.
“There is a significant demand from international visitors wishing to experience Japan’s nature. We want to ensure satisfaction through high-quality experiences expected from our trusted brands,” Mori says with confidence. Considering concerns about overtourism, he plans to continue communicating the importance of balancing conservation and use.
“Similarly, for experiences, it’s important that people think ‘I can trust the program because this company or brand is organizing it.’ Just like our product development, we create new value and enhance its quality. While experience-focused business does not directly contribute to short-term sales, we believe it holds great potential for enhancing brand recognition and corporate value in the medium to long term. We would be delighted if shareholders and investors could also participate in our tours and activities.” (Mori)
Hikari Mori
Director COO and Senior Managing Director
Born in 1963. Joined our company in 2004 after working at several outdoor brands. Appointed as General Manager of the THE NORTH FACE Business Division in 2015 after serving as Deputy General Manager. Has overseen the THE NORTH FACE business since then. Appointed Director in 2016, Managing Director in 2019, Director and Managing Director in 2022, Director and Senior Managing Director in 2023, and has served as Director COO and Senior Managing Director of the THE NORTH FACE Business Division and the Global Brand Business Division since 2025. Has frequently visited national parks and numerous mountains throughout Japan, regardless of the season, for many years.
The information provided, job titles and affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.
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