After planning, selling, and leading domestic and international mountain climbing and trekking tours for many years at Alpine Tour Service Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Alpine Tour Service”), a mountain travel company that became Goldwin’s subsidiary in April 2025, Mitsuhiro Fujimura and Toshiyuki Kitajima joined Goldwin, where they have been advancing our experience-based business since 2020 in the Marketing Department, Corporate Planning Headquarters. Following Part 1 of the series, where they reflected on “PLAY EARTH,” our pivotal project in kotozukuri (creating values), Part 2 features their discussions on how Goldwin came to address challenges concerning Japan’s national parks with the Ministry of the Environment and what they expect to achieve through our collaboration.
Part 1, “The Driving Force Behind a New Business Created by Integrating Products and Experiences, Discussed by Two Mountaineering Tour Experts,” which looks back on the “PLAY EARTH” project, is available here
The Current State of National Parks as Seen at the Ministry of the Environment
It would be impossible to explain how we became deeply involved in national parks without mentioning Noriyoshi Kato (d. 2013). As a leading figure in Japan’s long trail community, Mr. Kato was well versed in the national park system. During his lifetime, he visited national parks nationwide and continued advocating to various stakeholders about the challenges that must be addressed from both conservation and utilization perspectives to preserve the rich natural environment for future generations.
Fujimura and Kitajima looked up to Mr. Kato, and Takao Watanabe, our President and CEO, was also deeply inspired by him. Driven by a strong desire to showcase the appeal of Japan’s national parks to more people, Goldwin signed the National Park Official Partnership with the Ministry of the Environment in 2020. During the two years from 2023 to 2024, Kitajima was seconded to the Ministry of the Environment, where he promoted the appeal of national parks and encouraged visits.
Kitajima
Mr. Kato frequently visited national parks in the US, which is a pioneer in national park systems. Through his visits, he came to realize that national parks are not only important natural preserves but are also cherished as irreplaceable places by the American people. Even though we have national parks in Japan, they are not well known or appreciated by the public. Unlike in the US, national parks in Japan often stretch across government, municipal, and private land, making centralized management difficult. Despite these difficulties, Mr. Kato devoted himself to promoting the splendor of Japan’s national parks.
Drawing on his experience in developing programs for mountain travel and other tours, Kitajima proposed activities and hands-on experiences tailored to local characteristics at the ministry’s department that promotes visits to national parks (National Park Visitor Use Promotion Office of the National Park Division, Nature Conservation Bureau, Ministry of the Environment). He also carried out promotional activities to share the core appeal of local resources.
Kitajima
Unlike in the United States, not all national parks in Japan are owned by the central government. Some land is owned by the government and municipalities, while some is privately owned. Preservation and use of national parks is something that not only the government but also stakeholders from various sectors and regions need to think about together. Through my two years of experience, I came to feel strongly that in developing hands-on experiences, it is crucial to make sure that they are beneficial for tourism operators as well as local residents and visitors alike, and that these efforts simultaneously help conserve local nature and tourism resources. As ministry personnel, I had the opportunity to work with local communities to develop hands-on experiences unique to each national park setting. This valuable experience continues to inform my work today.
Fujimura
There’s no doubt that Kitajima’s firsthand exposure to local challenges and government initiatives as a secondee has provided us with deeper insights, as Goldwin advances its experience-based business.
Incorporating Lifestyles and Culture into Experiences
In 2022, two years after Goldwin signed the National Park Official Partnership, we launched “National Parks of Japan,” a project aimed at achieving sustainable conservation and use of national parks. In national parks across Japan, we have been operating various tours themed around sustainable tourism and adventure travel. Under National Parks of Japan, we plan one national park tour each month.
One example is the tour held in Kushiro Shitsugen National Park in October 2025. Starting from Tsurui Village, where lush nature, dairy farming, and forestry come together to create a beautiful landscape, participants experienced the cycle and bounty of “water” firsthand through activities such as trekking with local guides and canoeing in the Kushiro Marshland, as well as making local specialty cheese and tasting craft beer. We will continue planning various tours with the aim of making participants fans of the local regions through locally sourced, hands-on experiences.
In addition to planning tours, we sell T-shirts, reusable shopping bags, and caps from brands such as THE NORTH FACE, Goldwin, and HELLY HANSEN as part of the “National Parks Collection,” which is organized by national park area. These products are made of environmentally friendly materials such as recycled polyester and organic cotton. Some of the revenue is donated to support national park conservation and management to enable sustainable conservation and use of national parks.
Kitajima
Mr. Kato often said, “Bikes are too fast. Cars are even faster. Some discoveries and encounters are only possible on foot.” When I’m planning tours, these words somehow come to mind.
Fujimura
The tagline for National Parks of Japan is “Explore the wonders of National Parks of Japan.” We would like participants to walk on their own two feet and discover their own treasures through their journeys in national parks. For some, these treasures may be landscapes; for others, they may be encounters with people and animals, or discoveries of their new selves. We want to pass these experiences on to the children who will shape the future. Humans are part of nature. While thinking about how we can become one with nature, we would like to pursue kotozukuri that is truer to Goldwin’s identity.
One of our kotozukuri initiatives to create a bright future for children who will lead the next generation is “HAKONE TOWN × GOLDWIN KIDS SUMMER CAMP.” This outdoor event is organized under the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement on Regional Revitalization with Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, and is open to third to sixth graders. Held for the fourth time in July 2025, this children’s summer camp at Lake Ashi and its surrounding areas in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park features various hands-on activities, including camping, hiking, stargazing, water safety classes, and Hakone yosegi-zaiku (marquetry) workshops.
Fujimura
On the first day of the program, children look somewhat worried, but they leave looking very confident. This transformation is truly striking. During the two nights and three days, they toughen up. We also work together as a united team, and every year brings new discoveries that help our operations team grow.
Kitajima
With support from police officers at the local Hakone police box and members of the Fisheries Cooperative, parents can feel reassured. Furthermore, with Gota Miura—a professional skier, Doctor of Medicine, and Everest summiteer—serving as the program director, this truly is what people call “a camping experience that is uniquely Goldwin.” Childhood wonder leaves a lasting impression on the heart. Nature walks with Mr. Miura and adventure workshops become lasting summer memories for the children.
Fujimura
Half of the participating children live in Hakone Town, while the other half come from the Greater Tokyo Area. When learning about Hakone Town’s nature at the visitor center, children from the Greater Tokyo Area are surprised and show strong interest. Seeing their reactions, the local children rediscover the beauty of the nature around them and proudly show it off—this is one of my most memorable moments. I hope that local children from Hakone Town who participate in the program will always be proud of the nature they grew up with, even after leaving their hometown for college or work. I also hope that children from the Greater Tokyo Area who participate will remember into their adulthood the authentic nature they experienced through this program.
I feel that the children’s smiles teach us the importance of showcasing, through experiences, the value that products alone cannot convey. I started climbing mountains as a child, tagging along with my grandfather on his boar hunts—it felt like the most natural thing. However, if you don’t have someone like him around, you may hesitate to take the first step.
Kitajima
Similarly, going to the mountains with my parents has also influenced my life. I believe the experience-based business also involves helping people take their first step into the outdoors and toward new challenges. I would be happy if the experiences we offer lead to more nature fans, instill interest in the global environment and a desire to cherish nature, and in turn expand the circle of people working to protect it. Through experiences, respect for nature takes root, along with the motivation to take the next step. We believe that firsthand experiences can be a catalyst for transforming values and behaviors.
Mobilizing Internal Resources to Tackle the Experience-based Business
While Mt. Fuji, Hakuba in Nagano, and Niseko in Hokkaido are crowded with inbound visitors, there are still many national parks and regions that are not receiving the attention they deserve. Fujimura and Kitajima aspire to raise awareness of these hidden gems to attract visitors and revitalize local regions through adventure travel—a genre of travel that combines nature, activities, and cultural experiences. As one example, Fujimura cites Shari Town, Hokkaido, with which we signed a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement on Regional Revitalization in 2021.
Fujimura
The Shiretoko Nature Center houses THE NORTH FACE/HELLY HANSEN Shiretoko, which is our field shop. Since the Shiretoko Crossing Road is closed during the winter, stores within Shiretoko National Park cannot expect a steady stream of visitors throughout the year. Nevertheless, we maintain the store because we see value beyond selling products, believing it helps foster deep connections with the natural environment. The store staff have been actively participating in local environmental conservation initiatives, organizing children’s workshops, and collaborating with local stakeholders to share a wide range of information. Thanks to their efforts, we have been able to build connections not only with tourists but also with the local government and residents.
We promote Shiretoko’s appeal by engaging with athletes and local residents, producing and selling charity T-shirts, supporting the Shiretoko Nature School, and hosting Shiretoko-themed workshops in the Greater Tokyo Area. To promote fisheries, one of the major industries of Shari Town, which covers the western part of Shiretoko, we provided jackets, fleeces, and rain gear specially designed for fishers through HELLY HANSEN. We also supplied uniforms for Shari Town Hall staff through THE NORTH FACE.
Fujimura
I believe that the key to sustainably developing our experience-based business is to leverage our wealth of internal talent and resources to achieve mutual benefits for the local government and Goldwin. This is another reason why it means so much to have Alpine Tour Service, a tour operator, join our group.
Our high-performance monozukuri (the art of making things) is built on the fusion of feedback gained through athlete partnerships and technical expertise cultivated over our long history. As new members, Fujimura, Kitajima, and the team from Alpine Tour Service are beginning to contribute their knowhow gained through their dedication to kotozukuri. At the heart of all this, our product-based and experience-based businesses come together in a way that is quintessentially Goldwin.
Mitsuhiro Fujimura
Born in 1974. After working at a travel company specializing in mountaineering tours, he joined Alpine Tour Service Co., Ltd. in 1999, where he planned, sold, and guided domestic and international trekking tours. After joining Goldwin in 2021, he was assigned to the Marketing Department’s Field Event Team, followed by the PLAY EARTH Division (2022) and the PLAY EARTH Business Group (2023). Since 2025, he has been promoting the experience-based business in the Marketing Department’s Event Group. During his time at Alpine Tour Service, he guided mountain tours in nearly 30 countries. He had an active childhood, accompanying his grandfather on wild boar hunts and sea fishing trips. As a student, he embarked on solo camping trips through national parks in Canada and the United States and climbed mountains, including Mont Blanc and Mount Kinabalu, living a life deeply immersed in outdoor activities. These days, he particularly enjoys taking walks in his neighborhood while cherishing the changing seasons and surrounding natural environment, as well as visiting shrines and temples.
Toshiyuki Kitajima
Born in 1981. After working at a travel company specializing in mountaineering tours, he joined Alpine Tour Service Co., Ltd. in 2008, where he planned, sold, and guided domestic and international trekking tours. He joined Goldwin in 2021 and was assigned to the Marketing Department’s Field Event Team, followed by the PLAY EARTH Business Group (2022), before being seconded in 2023 to the National Park Visitor Use Promotion Office of the National Park Division, Nature Conservation Bureau, Ministry of the Environment. He returned to Goldwin in 2025, joining the Marketing Department’s Event Group, where he promotes the experience-based business alongside Fujimura. Influenced by his parents, he took up mountaineering seriously in high school. In his sophomore year of college, he represented Japan at the Junior World Orienteering Championships. He enjoys not only mountaineering but also a variety of other outdoor activities with his family and friends on a regular basis as a means of connecting with nature.
The information provided, job titles and affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.
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