OUR GUIDES
By joining a tour with Fuji Mountain Guides, you're climbing with some of the most qualified guides on the mountain. Each group tour is led by native English speaking and bilingual mountain guides.
Mattias Åsenlund
Mattias was born to Japanese and Swedish parents. Growing up in a few different countries and educated in English, he is as multicultural as one can be. Mattias' days outdoors began before he could even walk. He has been skiing, hiking and camping for as long as he can remember and has spent the last couple winters guiding people to the driest and deepest snow on Japan's northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido. Mattias considers Japan's mountains to be its greatest treasure and he cannot wait to share good times with you on Mt. Fuji!
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Phil Welch
Originally from London, Phil served for 8 years in the British Army before leaving to travel the world. He now lives year round in Hokkaido. Working as a backcountry ski guide in the winter, raft guide in the spring and hiking guide/ farmworker in the summer, he is lucky enough to spend all year round in the beautiful Japanese outdoors.
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Motohiro Hayashi
Moto was born and raised in Saitama, Japan. In his early 20's, Moto traveled to Nepal, exposing him to mountainous activities through the Himalayan mountains. This experience led Moto to seek a future in guiding and other outdoor pursuits. He is just back from spending a few years working in and exploring Australia and New Zealand. His time in New Zealand was spent guiding multinational guests on one of greatest walks in New Zealand, the Milford Trek. During the winter Moto works for the ski patrol team at Hakuba and enjoys backcountry skiing. His favorite past time these days is trail running. His love for trail running will take him on distance runs which sometimes span 100 miles!
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Masato Ogata
Masato was born and raised in Japan. He spent the summer of 2017 as staff at a mountain hut on Mount Fuji, introducing many of our guests and other international travelers to Japanese culture. Through this 2 month experience, Masato has gained valuable knowledge of both Mt. Fuji's culture and terrain, holding an "insider" view of Mt. Fuji. Masato enjoys traveling and climbing mountains both in his home country and overseas.
He looks forward to guiding foreign tourists to Japan, paying it forward to all the locals that have assisted him in his travels abroad. Masato enjoys music, traveling, nature and meeting new people from all over the world. Certifications
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Daniel Busby
Originally from the North East of England Daniel has had a passion for travelling and the outdoors from a young age. This love took him all over the world skiing and snowboarding before finding himself in Japan. In Japan he has worked in several different outdoor industries from bungee to ski patrolling and ski and snowboard instructing. Shortly after coming here he discovered a talent for Japanese leading to working in several Japanese companies. Currently living in Gotemba at the base of Mt. Fuji Daniel loves nothing more than a day hiking or a round of golf except for perhaps the beer afterwards.
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John Llyweyn
John was born in North Wales and grew up hiking the mountains of Eryri National Park. After spending 8 years in the Merchant Navy he decided to continue pursuing his passion for the outdoors by chasing the winter as a Ski Instructor in Canada, New Zealand and eventually Japan. Now a year-round resident of Hokkaido he skis in the winter and rafts in the summer, although he doesn't have much time for that now as he continuously takes on more renovation projects than he can handle. John is soon to be the landlord of a pub in Niseko and invites anyone who shares his love of the outdoors to come for a drink.
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Michael Chan
Michael was raised in Sydney Australia and was born to Cantonese and Vietnamese parents. Rock climbing, exploring mountains, and snowboarding are his life passions. Michael quit his full-time job as an architect for the dream of pursuing a life exploring and working in the mountains. He has worked as a Snowboard Instructor in Hakuba and Niseko and has sport climbed across Australia and Japan. Michael is a bundle of energy and whom you'll be pleased to be accompanied by on your climb up Mt. Fuji!
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Yannis Karrer
Growing up on the German-Swiss border, Yannis spent the better part of his childhood skiing and hiking in the Alps and developed a strong passion for the mountains from a young age. Upon finishing his Marine Biology degree and working as a SCUBA dive instructor at the Great Barrier Reef, Yannis moved to Australia’s hiking mecca, Tasmania, where he worked as a hiking guide on the prestigious Overland Track. Yannis is an outdoor enthusiast and loves to spend his free time rock-climbing, freediving, skiing and trail-running. Over the years, Yannis has developed a keen interest in Japan’s rich culture and is excited to share this passion as well as his expertise in the mountains with you on the trail to one of the world’s most iconic summits.
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Andrew Quirk
What Andy lacks in karaoke talent, he makes up for in the sporting field! After playing rugby for 20 years, Andy took up snowboarding in Fukui, Japan first, then the famed Furano, which was akin to surfing on snow and an addiction soon surfaced. After over eight snow seasons, Andy decided to run eight marathons. His most recent was in Berlin, training in the outback of Australia. He's worked as a Japanese speaking guide at Vald'isere, Whistler and Australia. Andy has a keen interest in travel, languages, Japanese food and culture as well as the sake.
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Charles Yates
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Charles now lives full time in Japan based on the island of Hokkaido. Aside from guiding on Mt. Fuji Charles spends the summers rafting, hiking and camping. During the winter he works as a cat ski guide and operator in Hokkaido.
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Takashi Yoshimura
Takashi was born and raised in Osaka. Takashi worked as a middle school physical education teacher before discovering his love for snowboarding and the outdoors. Over the past 10 years, he has traveled the world, indulging in outdoor activities such as snowboarding, climbing, surfing and mountain trekking. During winters, you'll find him guiding splitboarding tours in Hokkaido. Takashi, who has a passion for nature and adventure, looks forward to meeting you all.
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Jen Blakeley
Jen was born and raised in North Island, New Zealand. Growing up in the outdoors, she acquired a passion for hiking, camping and swimming. After finishing her degree in Geoscience, she moved to the South Island to guide on the Milford Track and learn to ski over the winter. With a desire to go hiking around the world, Jen is excited to meet you in Japan and experience Mt. Fuji together.
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Takumaru Hotta
Taku was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan. He spent his high school years in British Columbia, Canada, where he fell in love with the outdoors. He enjoys rock climbing and hiking in the summer, and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. During the winter you'll find Taku working as a ski patroller as well as ski and snowboard instructor in the mountains of Hakuba, Japan. He looks forward to enjoying the journey up Mt. Fuji together and spending time with people from all around the world.
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Emiko Nagai
Emiko was born to a Shanghainese mother and Japanese father and raised in Narita city Japan. Growing up with Canadian cousins, it was very natural for her to be interested in the world outside of Japan, leading her on travels and exploration around the world. A 3 year stint in Australia helped develop a love for nature and has been the centre of her life since. She enjoys heart opening conversations and making friends through shared experiences such as traveling, hiking and dancing to good music!
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Melissa Chen
Growing up in Shanghai, Melissa would spend her winters skiing in Hokkaido, leading to her appreciation for Japan. She is currently a Kinesiology student at the University of British Columbia hoping to become a physiotherapist with NGOs like Doctors Without Borders.
Melissa is an avid fan of skiing, surfing, climbing, and backpacking and has experience as a horseback guide in Banff National Park. Squamish and Whistler have provided the perfect setting for Melissa to pursue her outdoor activities. Melissa loves meeting new people and solo travelling to experience new cultures. Certifications:
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Satoru Ozawa
Satoru was raised in the Rocky Mountains in Western Canada. From a young age he learned to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors. Growing up around the outdoor tourism industry he was exposed to the opportunities and enjoyment that guiding brings. This season is his first with FMG. He has spent 2 seasons in Canada working as a whitewater raft guide. When he is not working you'll see him out hiking, scrambling, climbing, biking, skiing, rafting or kayaking. Through working at FMG he plans to further his guiding skills and abilities.
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Gino Meyer
A complete adventurer from Lake Tahoe, California. Growing up on a cattle ranch Gino learned about perseverance and hard work. Earning a degree in Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Environmental Science amongst many other certifications Gino is an expert in leading backpacking, rafting, and rock climbing trips. Making your experience as pleasurable and comfortable as possible is his ultimate goal and a part of his education.
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Dillon Valentine
Dillon was born and raised in the beautiful country of New Zealand and has developed a passion for multi-day hiking! With the outdoors an ever present part of his childhood, Dillon completed all levels of The Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award and is now an instructing groups of children/adolescents to gain the award themselves. In his down time, Dillon will enjoy playing video games, board games, puzzles, escape rooms, and watching anime.
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Keisuke Kawawada
Keisuke was born in Hong Kong to a Cantonese father and Japanese mother and was raised in a multicultural setting living in the expat city of Hong Kong. Growing up, he was a natural at the outdoors as he would bring his friends out hiking and scrambling around the nearby mountains. Keisuke has been to 23 countries to go trekking around the world, his most memorable trips having visited Machu Picchu and the Milford Trek in New Zealand. Choosing to pursue a path in Adventure Education Keisuke gained additional experience in trip leading, facilitating, and providing life changing experiences for students in America where he studied. He is happy to serve clients from all over the world with his skills and cross-cultural experiences.
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Colleen Booth
Colleen was born in Australia and raised in the gateway to the Rocky Mountains, Calgary. She completed some of her first hikes as an accessory to her parent's backpack. With two younger brothers she was soon taking charge and diving into outdoor culture with Girl Guides, competitive swimming, and winter sports. For three years in Australia, she worked for a harm reduction organization in tandem with medical teams at outdoor festivals providing safe spaces and guidance as well as educational resources.
In 2019, Colleen embarked on a solo quest around the world, volunteering in the US, Sweden, Estonia, Turkey, and India. Whether you're in need of emotional support :) or guidance up Japan's tallest mountain, Colleen is looking forward to being part of your journey. Certifications:
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Henrika Ahola
Henrika grew up in Finland and spent much of her childhood outdoors camping and hiking as a scout. After graduating high school, she moved to the UK to pursue higher education in biosciences. During her studies, she continued to explore the outdoors through hikes and climbs in the national parks of the UK, as well as a summer spent working as a camp leader in rural Inner Mongolia, China. She moved to Japan to continue her studies and is excited to work on Mount Fuji this summer!
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Thomas Hunt
Thomas has been based in Japan for seven years now. Living right at the base of Mt. Fuji, he enjoys frequent climbs up Japan's highest mountain. Thomas currently works for the U.S. Navy as a civilian. In his free time he enjoys taking the camper van out and traveling around Japan with his dog, whilst climbing mountains, skiing and surfing.
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Scott Wallis
Scott's roots lie in New Zealand, where his love affair with the outdoors began. With extensive hiking and mountain climbing experience in his homeland, he's honed a deep connection to nature. Scott indulges in an array of thrilling pursuits, from packrafting and ocean kayaking to fishing, spearfishing, and sailing. However, it's skiing that truly captivates him, leading him to traverse the world's finest slopes, culminating in unforgettable experiences in the snowy peaks of Japan, where he's spent the past two winters in Hokkaido. Scott's profound appreciation for the mountains and his fascination with Japanese culture are passions he's eager to share with fellow adventurers on the thrilling journey to conquer Mt. Fuji.
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Ayako Kuroda
Ayako was born and raised in Tokyo. During her high school years in Canada, she became fascinated with freeride skiing. Since then, she has been spending her winters skiing in mountains overseas and in Japan. Joining the FMG team in 2017, Ayako is thrilled in being able to meet and guide people from all over the world on Mt. Fuji. When she is not skiing or climbing Mt. Fuji, she enjoys traveling, reading, and CrossFit.
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Takaya Kawaguchi
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Matthew Rascone
Matthew was born in Philadelphia and has grown up in the US and Canada. While living in Japan he turned his love of rock climbing to mountain guiding on Mt. Fuji. After living in Japan for four years he returned to Canada to pursue his Master's in psychology. When he is not studying Matthew likes to spend time with his family, run, and do yoga.
He is fortunate to combine his love for Japanese Culture with his love for the outdoors and cannot wait to see you on your upcoming Mt. Fuji trip! Certifications:
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Anna Janzen
Anna was born and raised in the beautiful province of British Columbia, Canada. Growing up surrounded by mountain peaks and an expansive coastline, she developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Her love for rock climbing and hiking led her to complete a diploma in Outdoor Recreation Management, where she gained extensive knowledge and skills in guiding, risk management, and outdoor education. Among her outdoor industry experiences are guiding guests through glacial melt on heli-kayak excursions, working at ski resorts, and guiding on Mt. Fuji!
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Kotaro Terasaka
Kotaro didn’t actually grow up liking the outdoors until he was 19 years old. Growing up in Ohio, he grew up walking around malls and playing video games. Once he got a job at a Halloween Store in southern California which exposed him to outdoor sports, he fell in love with it. While in San Diego he learned how to surf and was out most days before the sun came up. After a couple years he moved to the Bay area, learned to climb, bought a van to live in, and was chasing the nice weather. Kotaro has been in Moab Utah the last few years, working at cafes and bike shops, still trying to travel and bike when he has days off.
While not working or biking, Kotaro enjoys sewing/designing bags, working on his vehicles, running, traveling and drinking too much coffee when trying to relax. Certifications
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Keita Sugawara
Keita was born and raised in Tokyo. He spent his childhood immersed in Japan's nature, snowboarding and hiking in the Japanese Alps as well as catching waves on the pacific.
During university, Keita spent time as an exchange student in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Portland. He looks forward to traveling the trail with you and providing insights into Japanese culture. Certifications:
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Off Season 2 Day TourSep 11 - Oct 15Enjoy a more relaxed hike. Avoid the crowds and summit Mt. Fuji during the day instead of just before dawn. All transportation fees, lodging, and three hot meals included.
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In Season 2 Day Fuji TourJune 25 - Sep 10Our most popular summer offering. This trip will give you ample time to reach the summit for sunrise. Round trip transportation from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji, two meals, and mountain hut included.
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Private & Group ToursContact Us for DatesHike with a group of friends, colleagues, or family. We can arrange custom pick ups and drop offs too.
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Fuji Mountain Guides
Copyright © 2007-2022
株式会社 Japan Guides Group
Nishi Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Copyright © 2007-2022
株式会社 Japan Guides Group
Nishi Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan