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Katsuhito Samejima

Katsuhito Samejima

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Katsuhito Samejima Adventure Guide｜Camp Therapist｜Outdoor Gear Specialist ─"Good fortune comes to those who play"──Continuing to play is the driving force behind everything─ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 【ABOUT】 ─────────────────────────────────────── Born in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture. His passion for skateboarding and snowboarding opened the door to the outdoors. After experiencing "heliboarding" (skiing down from a mountaintop by helicopter) in New Zealand, he worked at a lodge in the Hakkoda Mountains, a mecca for backcountry skiing in Japan, and honed his powder snow skiing skills. He spent 18 years at Garmin Japan (GPS equipment), where he served as the head of the service department, overseeing all aspects of customer service, gaining expertise in both technology and organizational management. He brings his unique expertise as an "outdoor navigation equipment professional" to the field. In 2023, he ended his 18-year career and started a camping equipment import business. Currently, as the representative of AND GATHER CORPORATION LLC, he continues to energetically pursue the exclusive import agency business for outdoor gear in Japan and the exploration and practice of outdoor therapy. 【CERTIFICATIONS】Qualifications and Expertise ───────────────────────────────────────── ① WEA Outdoor Leader (COL) └ Certified by Wilderness Education Association Japan International standard outdoor leadership qualification ② LNTJ Trainer └ Certified by Leave No Trace Japan Practices and teaches field ethics that minimize impact on the natural environment ③ Japan Outdoor Therapy Association Certified Camp Therapist └ Professional qualification providing healing of mind and body through nature experiences through the five senses Exploring practices that use nature itself as a therapeutic setting, without relying on manual therapy ④ Completed Japan Avalanche Network Advanced Safety Camp └ Acquired advanced knowledge of avalanche risk management in snowy mountains and backcountry fields ⑤ Garmin GPS Product Expert with 18 Years of Experience └ Possesses technical knowledge of all products as Service Department Manager Unrivaled in Japan for field navigation and equipment troubleshooting 【CAREER PATH】 】Career ───────────────────────────────────────── ◆ Sculpture and Art Company 　・ Joined the company after graduating from high school. Gained firsthand experience of the joy and precision of "making things." ◆ Heli-Board Trip in New Zealand 　・ Was shocked by "heli-boarding" seen in a video, and realized his dream on a two-week trip. 　・ Took a helicopter to the mountaintop and skied down a steep slope of powder snow. ◆ Worked at Hakkoda Mountain Lodge 　・ Worked at "Hakkoda Mountain," a representative area of Japanese backcountry skiing. 　・ Further honed his powder snow skiing skills. ◆ Furniture Manufacturing Company 　・ Acquired woodworking skills. In my private life, I build my own furniture and garden deck. • My DIY skills are directly linked to my current camping style and base camp building. ◆ Garmin Japan, 18 years (Service Department Manager) • Joined the company from its early stages with just a few people and established the customer service department. • Oversaw three teams: Call Center / Repair Service / Manual Creation. • As a cross-organizational coordinator, I played a key role in connecting technology, customers, and internal departments. • Possesses deep technical knowledge of all Garmin products. ◆ AND GATHER CORPORATION, Representative (2023-present) • Founded the business of being the sole importer of urban blind design products in Japan (camping equipment). • Continues practicing and exploring outdoor therapy as a camp therapist. 【ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES】Adventure Activities ───────────────────────────────────────── ◆ Snowboarding / Backcountry • Backcountry experience both domestically and internationally, including Hakkoda Mountain and New Zealand. * Acquired avalanche safety knowledge (Japan Avalanche Network Advanced Course). ◆ Snowshoe Tours * Organize and guide snowshoe tours with friends every year. * Gain experience in carefully conveying the joy of snow-covered mountains to participants. ◆ Multi-Activity Activities * Widely practiced camping, snowshoeing, trekking, kayaking, etc. ◆ DIY / Craftsmanship * Create camping gear and outdoor spaces using skills cultivated in sculptural arts and furniture making. * Excels at creative problem-solving in the field. 【PERSONAL STORY】Personal Story ───────────────────────────────────────── During my student days, skateboarding was still a minor sport. I didn't join a club, but instead honed street tricks with friends and participated in amateur competitions. Although he was sometimes viewed with suspicion by those around him, what he learned there was the essence of what is applicable to any sport: "the importance of individual effort and teamwork." Just as the snowboarding boom arrived, he quickly improved, using the "sideways riding" technique he had cultivated through skateboarding. "Backcountry snowboarding," images he saw in overseas videos, opened a new door for him. "It was a moment when he felt the ultimate freedom." He mastered heliboarding in New Zealand, powder snow in Hakkoda, and for 18 years at Garmin Japan, he was at the forefront of GPS equipment. Then, in 2023, driven by a simple impulse to "pursue the joy of camping even more," he left everything behind and started his own business. ───────────────────────────────────────── "Good fortune comes to those who play. Whether it's weeding, snow climbing, or kayaking— Increasing the amount of time you spend playing in nature enriches your life. Creating such opportunities is what I consider my job." ────────────────────────────────────────── 【VALUES】Values and Beliefs ───────────────────────────────────────── ▸ Good fortune comes to those who play ─ Continuing to play in nature enriches life ▸ Individual effort × The importance of teamwork ─ The essence of team and field learned through skateboarding 【VISION & MISSION Vision & Mission ───────────────────────────────────────── Vision To allow more people to experience nature, and to increase the number of times they interact with nature. From activities that anyone can do, such as weeding, to activities like trekking, we aim to broaden the scope of participation. Mission To cultivate the "challenge," "sense of accomplishment," "insight," and "spirit of inquiry" that can be gained from "playing in nature," and by providing and assisting in a place of "healing" felt in nature, we aim to further enhance many people's respect for the natural environment. 【LINKS】 ───────────────────────────────────────── 　YAMA HACK Article 　https://yamahack.com/4013 　Man's Hideaway Digital (DIY Room Feature) 　https://otokonokakurega.com/find/secret-base/3370/ 　Leave No Trace Japan 　https://lntj.jp/ 　WEA Japan (COL) 　https://weaj.jp/col-guideline/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

AT Guide

WEA, LNT_Lv.2.

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Katsuhito Samejima
Adventure Guide｜Camp Therapist｜Outdoor Gear Specialist
─"Good fortune comes to those who play"──Continuing to play is the driving force behind everything─
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
【ABOUT】
───────────────────────────────────────
Born in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture.
His passion for skateboarding and snowboarding opened the door to the outdoors.
After experiencing "heliboarding" (skiing down from a mountaintop by helicopter) in New Zealand, he worked at a lodge in the Hakkoda Mountains, a mecca for backcountry skiing in Japan, and honed his powder snow skiing skills.

He spent 18 years at Garmin Japan (GPS equipment), where he served as the head of the service department, overseeing all aspects of customer service, gaining expertise in both technology and organizational management.
He brings his unique expertise as an "outdoor navigation equipment professional" to the field.

In 2023, he ended his 18-year career and started a camping equipment import business.
Currently, as the representative of AND GATHER CORPORATION LLC, he continues to energetically pursue the exclusive import agency business for outdoor gear in Japan and the exploration and practice of outdoor therapy.

【CERTIFICATIONS】Qualifications and Expertise
─────────────────────────────────────────
① WEA Outdoor Leader (COL)
└ Certified by Wilderness Education Association Japan
International standard outdoor leadership qualification
② LNTJ Trainer
└ Certified by Leave No Trace Japan
Practices and teaches field ethics that minimize impact on the natural environment
③ Japan Outdoor Therapy Association Certified Camp Therapist
└ Professional qualification providing healing of mind and body through nature experiences through the five senses
Exploring practices that use nature itself as a therapeutic setting, without relying on manual therapy
④ Completed Japan Avalanche Network Advanced Safety Camp
└ Acquired advanced knowledge of avalanche risk management in snowy mountains and backcountry fields
⑤ Garmin GPS Product Expert with 18 Years of Experience
└ Possesses technical knowledge of all products as Service Department Manager
Unrivaled in Japan for field navigation and equipment troubleshooting
【CAREER PATH】 】Career
─────────────────────────────────────────
◆ Sculpture and Art Company
　・ Joined the company after graduating from high school. Gained firsthand experience of the joy and precision of "making things."

◆ Heli-Board Trip in New Zealand
　・ Was shocked by "heli-boarding" seen in a video, and realized his dream on a two-week trip.
　・ Took a helicopter to the mountaintop and skied down a steep slope of powder snow.

◆ Worked at Hakkoda Mountain Lodge
　・ Worked at "Hakkoda Mountain," a representative area of Japanese backcountry skiing.
　・ Further honed his powder snow skiing skills.

◆ Furniture Manufacturing Company
　・ Acquired woodworking skills. In my private life, I build my own furniture and garden deck.
• My DIY skills are directly linked to my current camping style and base camp building.

◆ Garmin Japan, 18 years (Service Department Manager)
• Joined the company from its early stages with just a few people and established the customer service department.
• Oversaw three teams: Call Center / Repair Service / Manual Creation.
• As a cross-organizational coordinator, I played a key role in connecting technology, customers, and internal departments.
• Possesses deep technical knowledge of all Garmin products.

◆ AND GATHER CORPORATION, Representative (2023-present)
• Founded the business of being the sole importer of urban blind design products in Japan (camping equipment).
• Continues practicing and exploring outdoor therapy as a camp therapist.

【ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES】Adventure Activities
─────────────────────────────────────────
◆ Snowboarding / Backcountry
• Backcountry experience both domestically and internationally, including Hakkoda Mountain and New Zealand.
* Acquired avalanche safety knowledge (Japan Avalanche Network Advanced Course).

◆ Snowshoe Tours
* Organize and guide snowshoe tours with friends every year.
* Gain experience in carefully conveying the joy of snow-covered mountains to participants.

◆ Multi-Activity Activities
* Widely practiced camping, snowshoeing, trekking, kayaking, etc.

◆ DIY / Craftsmanship
* Create camping gear and outdoor spaces using skills cultivated in sculptural arts and furniture making.
* Excels at creative problem-solving in the field.

【PERSONAL STORY】Personal Story
─────────────────────────────────────────
During my student days, skateboarding was still a minor sport.
I didn't join a club, but instead honed street tricks with friends and participated in amateur competitions.
Although he was sometimes viewed with suspicion by those around him, what he learned there was the essence of what is applicable to any sport:
"the importance of individual effort and teamwork."

Just as the snowboarding boom arrived, he quickly improved, using the "sideways riding" technique he had cultivated through skateboarding.
"Backcountry snowboarding," images he saw in overseas videos, opened a new door for him.
"It was a moment when he felt the ultimate freedom."

He mastered heliboarding in New Zealand, powder snow in Hakkoda, and for 18 years at Garmin Japan, he was at the forefront of GPS equipment.

Then, in 2023, driven by a simple impulse to "pursue the joy of camping even more," he left everything behind and started his own business.

─────────────────────────────────────────
"Good fortune comes to those who play.
Whether it's weeding, snow climbing, or kayaking—
Increasing the amount of time you spend playing in nature enriches your life.
Creating such opportunities is what I consider my job."
──────────────────────────────────────────
【VALUES】Values and Beliefs
─────────────────────────────────────────
▸ Good fortune comes to those who play
─ Continuing to play in nature enriches life
▸ Individual effort × The importance of teamwork
─ The essence of team and field learned through skateboarding
【VISION & MISSION Vision & Mission
─────────────────────────────────────────
Vision
To allow more people to experience nature,
and to increase the number of times they interact with nature.
From activities that anyone can do, such as weeding,
to activities like trekking, we aim to broaden the scope of participation.

Mission
To cultivate the "challenge," "sense of accomplishment," "insight," and "spirit of inquiry" that can be gained from "playing in nature,"
and by providing and assisting in a place of "healing" felt in nature,
we aim to further enhance many people's respect for the natural environment.

【LINKS】
─────────────────────────────────────────
　YAMA HACK Article
　https://yamahack.com/4013

　Man's Hideaway Digital (DIY Room Feature)
　https://otokonokakurega.com/find/secret-base/3370/

　Leave No Trace Japan
　https://lntj.jp/

　WEA Japan (COL)
　https://weaj.jp/col-guideline/

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