Koichi Toba (Tobaji) Qualified mountaineering guide stage II by Japan Mountain Guides Association

Tobaji is one of the most experienced guides in Hokkaido with over 20 years in outdoor education & mountain tourism. Born in Chiba, near Tokyo, he spent his childhood and youth exploring the countryside. As a university student he was a member of the Explorer’s Club, giving him opportunities to explore the outdoors and travel overseas, including a trip to Nepal, where he trekked Annapurna and rafted down the Karnali river. He was once your typical Japanese “salaryman”, but decided to change careers and work for an outdoor education provider and later became a certified mountain guide. When he’s not guiding, he can be found canoeing or helping rice farmers and beekeepers in Higashikawa during spring and autumn.