Gardner Robinson
After spending his first few months in Kyoto, Gardner Robinson headed to the hills (and mountains) of Nagano. After the Winter Olympics in '98 he started Outdoor Japan, the first website focused on adventure and travel in Japan. In 2005 he launched Outdoor Japan magazine. Today he continues to be the founding director of Outdoor Japan and the Editor-in-Chief of Outdoor Japan's Traveler magazine. He lives with his wife and two sons in Nozawa Onsen, a quaint hot spring village and world-class ski town. Together they run Yoji Nozawa, traditional self-contained properties for travelers. Gardner has also combined his passion for craft beer and snowboarding in the two taprooms he runs - The Craft Room (opened in 2011) on the slopes of Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort, and Winterland Lodge & Taproom (opened in 2018) in the center of the village.
Adventure Travel
Pride and Preservation in Amami Oshima
The Amami Islands have long existed in the crosswinds. Locals have endured powerful typhoons and shifting geopolitical winds,...
Adventure Travel
A Legacy of Adventure at Sea in Itoman
Travelers come to Okinawa to unplug and refresh, to dip their toes in the sand or their fins in the water. Yet the most memor...
Zipline and Ropes Courses
Okinawa Forest Adventure
Holiday-goers lounging on Onna’s white sand beaches are no doubt unaware of what’s going on high in the jungle as creatures climb above the forest canopy and zip or swing from tower to tower. Curious travelers will discover a new side of Okinawa’s tropical paradise if they take the leap into a Forest Adventure.
Conservation
Ryukyu’s Mountain Turtles – Interview with...
Okinawa attracts hordes of travelers to its sandy beaches and warm, clear water with divers and snorkelers often posting images of the majestic local sea turtles. The interior forest and rivers, however, are home to another Okinawa turtle also in need of protection—the small, reclusive, but equally beautiful, yamagame.
Cycling
Upcycling Okinawa
From used k-trucks to discarded e-bikes, optimist and opportunist Hiroaki Inubuse is motion personified. His latest project aims to help travelers discover Okinawa’s backstreets and ancient roads on “upcycled” e-bikes with Discovery Cycling Tours Okinawa.
Activism
The Knights in White Lycra Ride Again
The 2024 Charity Ride celebrates five years and another 500 kilometers to help support Mirai no Mori and their mission to help the marginalized youth in Japan.
Craft Beer
LOCAL BREW: WOLFBRÄU
Thirty-five years ago German businessman Wolfram Opitz was sent to Tokyo for two months to help train a partner company in Japan. “What an interesting city and country,” he thought to himself. Today, he and his wife Yuka are the proud owners of Okinawa’s only German-style microbrewery at the steps of the island prefecture’s most famous landmark, Shuri Castle.
Snowboarding
CAMP3 Clubhouse in Madarao
Keith Stubbs, a veteran in the snowboard industry, transitioned from rider to coach and instructor trainer for Snowboard Instruction New Zealand. After coaching in various Japanese resorts, he has established a permanent base in Madarao, outlining his plans for the area and future snowboard endeavors.
Cycling
The World is Our Playground
The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
Adventure Travel
Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido
The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
Adventure Travel
Getting Dirty in Japan
“Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
Real Estate
Addressing Japan’s Empty House Problem
Interview with Stuart Galbraith IV / Minka Summit 2023 The Japanese word "kominka" literally means "old house," and the te...
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