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OUR TEAM

Our team network and introduction of team members

About the network

Our organization is made up of members with extensive mountain rescue experience, including mountain guides and mountaineers, rescue workers from the Mountain Distress Prevention Association, members of private rescue organizations, former members of the police riot squad, and mountain medical personnel. Our members are active all over the country, mainly in the Kanto and Chubu regions. Using these networks, we are able to quickly respond to urgent missing person searches.

In addition, our organization values ​​its network with public mountain rescue organizations and other mountain rescue-related organizations. This will facilitate search efforts for missing people in the mountains. In the future, we will strengthen our network with related organizations to make our collaboration even more meaningful, to find missing people early, and to take measures to prevent mountain disasters.

Introduction of main members

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Mitoma Iku

Management

Japan Mountain Guide Association certified mountain guide

Former resident member of the Southern Northern Alps. Founded Mountain Works Co., Ltd. in 2016 and is involved in a variety of mountaineering businesses. He has been involved in the drone business since the early days of domestic drones. He has extensive experience in rock climbing, ice climbing in Japan, and various types of climbing in Europe and North America.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team Ryosuke Obe
Obu Ryosuke

Sawanobori expert. They leave their footprints in difficult valleys all over Japan, as well as in large valleys in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. He is also active in snowy mountains and free climbing. It is strong against adverse conditions in the mountains and exhibits tenacious search power even in remote areas.

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Ban Takao

Drone pilot. Permanent member of the southern part of the Northern Alps. A former firefighter, he has deep knowledge of rescue techniques and rope work. Involved in special logging business and gained experience on many sites. Become familiar with the field of domestic free climbing.

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Hasegawa Aya

 

Mountain guide. Drone pilot. He has a wide range of experience in mountain climbing, snowy mountains, rock climbing, and mountain climbing all over Japan. He is knowledgeable about wild birds, insects, and animals, and has many cases of discovering missing people due to his diverse eye for observing nature.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team Chihiro Morimoto
Morimoto Chihiro

He has been involved in the management of mountain huts for a long time. He is knowledgeable about the circumstances of mountain huts and climbers. He has been involved in numerous mountain rescues, mainly in the Southern Alps, and has extensive knowledge of mountain climbing and trail running. From the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team Yosuke Fukasawa
Fukasawa Yosuke

Climbing guide certified by the Japan Mountain Guide Association. Former Ground Self-Defense Force. He has extensive knowledge of the backcountry from Kanto to Hokuriku. From his experience as a guide, he is particularly knowledgeable about the 200 Famous Mountains and 300 Famous Mountains. With his strong physical strength and stamina, he persistently continues walking up the mountain.

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Obu Ryosuke

Sawanobori expert. They leave their footprints in difficult valleys all over Japan, as well as in large valleys in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. He is also active in snowy mountains and free climbing. It is strong against adverse conditions in the mountains and exhibits tenacious search power even in remote areas.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Dog
Search and rescue dog
'YUKI'

Together with Narita, he chases deer and wild boar during the hunting season. They respond well to the lingering odor of animals and use their noses to track them down. At the scene of a search, he is especially effective in cases where the disappearance has occurred within a month. It is resistant to snowy mountains and greatly expands the search range for humans alone. In the mountains, they mostly drive out deer and woodcock, but they use their noses to respond to unusual scents. During the hunting season, they mainly eat deer meat.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team Kenji Narita
Narita Kenji

Chief​

Mountain guide certified by the Japan Mountain Guide Association. After his own avalanche accident, he decided to search for missing people in the mountains, and has discovered many missing people. He is widely knowledgeable about snowy mountains, ice climbing, rock climbing, mountain climbing, headwater fishing, hunting, backcountry skiing, river kayaking, etc., mainly in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region, but also all over the country.

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Mizutani Takeo

 

Subchief
 

A member of the Southern Northern Alps Rescue Association. He has experience working on wintering expeditions in Antarctica and has extensive knowledge of civil engineering, snow and ice technology. He is well versed in picking local wild vegetables and mushrooms, so he is closely involved in missing persons cases related to that. He is widely knowledgeable about snowy mountains, ice climbing, and mountain climbing, mainly in the Northern Alps, Yatsugatake, and Southern Alps.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team Nakamichi
Nakamichi Teruhisa

 

He specializes in snowy mountains, ice climbing, rock climbing, mountain climbing, and headwater fishing, mainly in the Southern Alps. A mountain carpenter who has been involved in the construction industry for a long time. He has deep insight into search methods.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team Kamon
Kamon Naoto

alpine climber. He has deep knowledge and insight into mountain terrain, weather, and drone operation technology. He is well versed in the field of domestic winter climbing and holds several first-time climbing records. Particularly in the field of mixed climbing, he holds the record for completing the world's most difficult route (at the time).

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team member Shota Hora
Hora Shota

Climbing guide certified by the Japan Mountain Guide Association. He is widely knowledgeable about snowy mountains, rock climbing, mountain climbing, and headwater fishing from Kanto-Koshinetsu to western Japan. He has excellent physical strength and, as a bokka, has strong carrying power.

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Obu Ryosuke

Sawanobori expert. They leave their footprints in difficult valleys all over Japan, as well as in large valleys in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. He is also active in snowy mountains and free climbing. It is strong against adverse conditions in the mountains and exhibits tenacious search power even in remote areas.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Team Kumiko Sugawara
Sugahara Kumiko

Nagano Prefecture Rescue Cooperation member, mountain climbing guide, nurse. As an office worker, he is familiar with internet-related mountaineering situations and collects various information. Serves as a point of contact for families during searches. He has deep experience in mountain climbing, snowy mountains, mountain climbing, headwater fishing, etc. mainly in the Northern Alps.

Mountain Works Mountain Distress Search and Rescue Dog
Search and rescue dog 
'KOMA'

She is a purebred female Kai dog with adorable tabby fur and round eyes. Although he is unusually friendly for a Kai dog, he is very curious and extremely agile in the mountains. Chase monkeys and deer for even a few hours. They are also strong against water and can swim through small swamps without any trouble, so they are expected to be useful for searching in streams. Due to their thick fur, they are sensitive to heat.

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