Natural Anchors is located a 10-minute walk from Nagano Station.
The owner, Mr. Toya, got into rock climbing when he was 20 years old, and in the past, he attacked huge monoliths in Canada and New Zealand. He climbed rock walls hundreds of meters long, pitched tents halfway up, and slept hanging in the air. After a while, he opened the shop in 2015.
However, the store does not currently stock climbing equipment, but instead sells a wide range of trekking gear, focusing on lightweight equipment.
Nagano is a treasure trove of outdoor fields. In addition, Nagano Station, where Natural Anchors is located, is also the starting point of the 86-kilometer Amatomi Trail, which was built three years ago. Incidentally, the Amatomi Trail is a great introduction to long trails. Those with good stamina can complete the through-hike in two nights and three days, while beginners can complete it in about three nights and four days.
"Strictly speaking, we are a little off the Amatomi Trail route, but we have quite a few visitors who come before or after the trail. So we have a wide range of products that can be used by these people."
HANG OUT VOL.3
"Mountain"
Chapter 07
HANG OUT VOL.3"Mountain"
Here are four shops that long trail beginners should turn to first.
VOL.3 Natural Anchors, Lunetz + Mountain Tool Shop
It's different from camping. It's also different from mountain climbing. The most important thing is that the equipment you take on a long trail hike, where you walk through mountain paths and rural areas for a long time, is "ultralight." By being light on your body, you won't get tired as easily, which will lead to walking longer distances. However, for beginners, it's hard to know what is right and what is wrong. So, go to a store like this, where there are staff you can ask about anything and they have a wide selection of equipment! In Vol.3, we leave Tokyo and introduce famous stores in Nagano and Tochigi.
No.3 Natural Anchors (Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture)
Natural Anchors is located on the second floor of a cafe next to Nagano City Hall.
Located at the starting point of the Amatomi Trail,
Outdoorsman's crossroads.
The spacious store is filled with a variety of backpacks, both large and small, as well as a wide selection of pouches.
The restaurant "DILL eat,life." at the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake Small Twist's trail foods are very popular among hikers.
The sloth sign at the store entrance comes from the fact that the owner was a climber.
The brand lineup includes well-known UL brands, as well as many local Nagano brands. One representative example is Chant!. The designer has thru-hiked trails overseas, and the functional gear he creates based on that experience has attracted attention. UJMT, a brand run by a couple who moved to Nagano from Kansai, is also very user-friendly. Local stores are interesting because they have a product lineup that is unique to that city.
Natural Anchors also regularly holds workshops and other events. Talk shows are held by people with long-trail experience, and the topics covered range from packing, map reading, and taping. They also hold a two-day outdoor exhibition called "YAMASAI" once a year, creating a valuable opportunity for creators and users to interact with each other.
Mr. Toya's wife, Akiko, also works at the store. Akiko, of course, is also an outdoor enthusiast. Let's ask these two people, who have a wide range of experiences, to teach us the basics of trails and gear.
Ask this person on "Natural Anchors"!
Yu Toya
Born in Nagano Prefecture in 1979, he became interested in climbing as a student, and after graduating from university, he worked overseas with the aim of making it his career. After returning to Japan, he worked as a company employee for eight years before opening this store in 2015. The store sells a wide range of mountaineering equipment, with a focus on UL items.
INFORMATION
Natural Anchors
Address: 2F Shinryo Building, 1607-12 Tsuruga Midorimachi, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture
Phone: 026-217-8512
Time: 11:00-18:30
Closed: Mondays (every other week) and Tuesdays
Instagram: @naturalanchors
No.4 Lunetz + Mountain Tool Shop (Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture)
Yama no Doguya is located in Kuroiso, an area that has become popular over the past few years with a growing number of cafes and lifestyle shops opening.
Supporting and promoting UL culture in northern Kanto.
The select shop "Lunettes" opened in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture in 2011. A few months later, "Yama no Doguya", which sells UL gear, opened next door to "Lunettes".
The owner of both restaurants is Mito Takeshi.
Mito's other activities are diverse, including founding the gear brand Shelt with an acquaintance in 2012 (its bottle holders are incredibly popular), and acting as an agent for the Italian outdoor manufacturer Bonfas.
While Mito-san also enjoys trekking, his favorite activity is fly fishing. He sets up a base camp in the river basin and uses it as a base to climb the stream and catch fish. When the sun goes down, he returns to the base camp and spends the night. In some cases, he may move the base camp further in.
"Although not as long as long-trail fishing, fly fishing often requires walking long distances with luggage. At first, I wanted to lighten my load, so I cut off the outer shell of a cup noodle and tried to reduce weight in my own way. Then I found out about the world of UL, and I became obsessed with it."
He was also influenced by Yuzo Sebata, a famous mountain stream fishing expert known as the "Old Man of the Valley." Mito has also put into practice the "Sebata House," which uses a blue sheet as a tarp.
The gear on display at "Mountain Tool Shop" is based on whether Mito-san will use it in the mountains. Among them, "Yama to Michi" has a wide variety of items, and even if something is sold out in Tokyo, it may still be in stock depending on the timing.
"We've been stocking Yama to Michi since the beginning of the store. They're easy to use in the field, simple, and really well made. And there are things you want to use even if they're not light. If you're going for a stoic pursuit of lightness, then titanium is definitely the best choice for tableware. But wooden tableware has good heat retention and is soft to the touch. I think one of our characteristics is that we don't just strip it down, but also carry playful items like this."
"Lunettes" and "Mountain Tool Shop" are connected inside the store, but the two stores have completely different styles.
You can get everything you need here, from clothing to gear. There is a wide variety of products available.
The selection of Yama to Michi products is particularly extensive, with shorts and backpacks available in a wide range of sizes and colors.
As mentioned at the beginning of this series, carrying ultralight gear makes you lighter and allows you to walk longer distances. However, Mito-san told us at the end about another by-product.
"Ultralight gear is lighter, but it's less durable. So you have to think about what to do if it breaks. When that happens, you have to make do with what you have available. That means you have to be more conscious of your tools, and you need more skill. Since I started taking UL gear with me, I think my ability to improvise on the mountain has definitely improved."
Rather than what to bring, it's more about how to adapt to and overcome the situation you find yourself in. Having more time to think things through might be one of the joys of hiking or trekking with UL.
Ask this person at "Lunets + Mountain Tool Shop"!
Takeshi Mito
Born in Tochigi Prefecture in 1977. Discovered fly fishing in high school and spends about 50 days in the mountains from March to September, including day trips and tent camping. Currently, he is involved in a project to build a long trail from Nasu. Plans to open two stores in the spring of 2025.
INFORMATION
Lunetz + Mountain equipment shop
Address: 8-37 Toyomachi, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture
Phone: 0287-74-2405
Time: 12:00-18:00
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Instagram: @lunettes_yamadougu
