Montbell founder went from a feeble boy to a renowned mountaineer

Japan Times

3 days ago

Mountaineer Isamu Tatsuno, the founder of outdoor gear and clothing manufacturer Montbell, generalizes climbers as 'wimpy' people who are cautious by nature — not the swashbuckling adventurers people might have in mind.
'You don't agree — most people don't agree,' said the charismatic 77-year-old in a recent interview at his office in the city of Osaka. 'But it's really true, climbers are wimpy, always worrying about the future, always worrying about risk — what if the rain starts? What if the snow starts?'
Tatsuno has applied a similar logic to his own business from its early days, planning ahead for survival. It paid off, with the company recently celebrating its 50th anniversary. In fact, it's almost going too well.
Today, Montbell operates more than 140 stores in Japan and its gear is the de facto uniform for hikers and climbers in the country. It has also developed a large fan base outside its domestic market with shoppers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China flocking to its stores.
'Montbell is very well received, especially by the Asia market,' he said, noting that in the Namba City Osaka retail space alone, sales were up 300% due to inbound tourists flocking to the store. 'A little scary, but you don't want to stop it.'
Back when the company was founded, the value of the mountaineering and outdoor market was said to be around ¥50 billion ($349 million). Thirty years after, the company made ¥10 billion.
Now, 50 years on, Montbell's total sales worldwide have reached ¥162 billion.
'It's out of control. The company has grown automatically,' he laughs, joking that he had little to do with its rocketing success.
Tatsuno's business plans for Montbell, which he drafted in 1980. Since the start of the business, Tatsuno has applied mountaineering logic, always planning ahead for its survival. |
Elizabeth Beattie
Tatsuno, a lifelong adventurer, enjoys surpassing limits — whether it be breezing past retirement age and continuing to work hands-on on the business he founded, completing record-breaking climbing feats or exceeding fiscal expectations.
In the multistory Montbell building in Osaka, Tatsuno's office foyer is full of flowers from well wishers as the company celebrates its half-century anniversary. The scene is a long way from the company's humble origins with no capital. Tatsuno quipped that this meant he began the business with nothing to lose.
Tatsuno hails from the city of Sakai, south of Osaka, which is known for its residents' business-savvy, outward-looking, curious attitude — traits that he too possesses. He was born in 1947, right after Japan was defeated in World War II.
Sakai, which had been flattened by air raids, remained in a state of rubble for some time, while the end of WWII was economically and socially tough for Japan.
'The people are looking down, they lost their confidence,' he said of those postwar years.
But intrepid mountaineers and pioneering Japanese adventurers encapsulated an emblem of hope for the country. In 1956, when climber Yuko Maki led the first successful expedition up the summit of Manaslu in Nepal — the eighth-highest mountain in the world — the achievement offered a sense of pride to the people of Japan.
Maki co-authored a gripping account of the 8,163-meter climb, describing the thrills and challenges of scaling the often-deadly mountain, published the following year.
'That created the first mountaineering boom. People were so excited about the success. I was a little child, but I was very influenced by this,' Tatsuno said.
Tatsuno climbs the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland in 1969 at the age of 21. |
Courtesy of Montbell
'You see the mountain over there, very far away, that's Kongo mountain in Sakai City,' he said as pointed out the window of his palatial office, recalling the testing memories of his childhood.
When Tatsuno was still in primary school, he was a physically weak child, which he put down to poor nutrition following WWII and growing up in a family of eight siblings. So when the teacher took students on a hike up Mount Kongo, he was not allowed to join them — which left a scar in his memory.
But his health conditions didn't stop him from realizing his dream of becoming 'a mountain man.'
He threw himself into hiking and camping, exploring with friends or undertaking solo treks, and grew stronger and more able over time.
When his school reading included Heinrich Harrer's 'The White Spider,' an account of scaling the north face of the Eiger mountain of the Swiss Alps, Tatsuno set his sights on something more ambitious — becoming the first Japanese climber to scale the Eiger himself.
At the age of 21 and along with climbing partner Sanji Nakatani, he ascended the mountain. They spurred each other on throughout the 'exhausting' climb with the notion of rewarding their efforts with delicious food and the warmth of the Mediterranean climate. They made it to the top, and, more importantly, made it down unscathed.
'We were the first Japanese to reach the top of the north face, and came back with both lives,' he said. While Mitsumasa Takata is the first Japanese person to summit the mountain via the north face, his partner was killed in the process.
A Montbell store in Tokyo. Today, Montbell operates more than 140 stores in Japan, and its gear is the de facto uniform for hikers and climbers in the country. |
Elizabeth Beattie
Today, 88-year-old Nakatani is still puttering around, working at Montbell.
Despite having achieved his lifelong goal in his early 20s, Tatsuno continued climbing. He considered for some time working as a guide, but eventually took on a job in the textile department of a trading company in Osaka.
The expertise he gained in the types of materials available and his existing knowledge of the ideal equipment for mountaineers combined to become the basis for his future business.
'At the time, everything was so heavy and bulky, and not easy to dry,' he said.
Tatsuno was certain that fabric innovations could vastly improve outdoor gear.
'We were the users, we knew what we needed and what was not available,' he said.
In 1975, at the age of 28, Tatsuno along with a group of friends founded Montbell as a company to provide the answer to all that he wanted in mountain gear as a climber.
He chose the name Montbell — a play on mont belle, which means 'beautiful mountain' in French. The image of the bear, which serves as the mascot for the brand, is a sign of respect for the natural environment and the creatures who live there.
The company became successful fairly quickly, with a reliable yet affordable sleeping bag becoming one of its early breakthrough products. The company also saw a niche in developing gear for rainy weather, which is essential for climbers. The years that followed saw it branching into product categories ranging from camping equipment to calligraphy sets.
Tatsuno climbs Mount Gozaisho in Mie Prefecture in the 1960s. |
Courtesy of Isamu Tatsuno
The growth of the business, which he describes as organic, stems from the traditional Japanese business model that Tatsuno views more favorably than any other.
'I strongly still believe that for us, the best business case is Japanese style,' he said of the company's approach, which continues to favor a lifetime employment model for its 1,300-strong workers.
This creates a talent pipeline, a long-term vision, and opportunities for young employees, he said.
'You have to hire young people every year,' he said, noting that the company will expand naturally over time as a result of the system, rather than one run by a CEO chasing growth.
Regardless of the system, for the founder, the rules are somewhat different. Tatsuno feels like a Willy Wonka figure in the company he founded, dabbling in everything from editing magazines to developing new product concepts, to collaborating with local governments.
'I have so many ideas. I want to do this, this and this. I love it, I really enjoy it,' he said.
This year, Tatsuno will be 78, an age at which the average Japanese businessman would have retired already.
'But I don't want to,' he said, adding that he still has verve to continue.
His son, Takeshi, who serves as Montbell president, might wish he would retire, he said, laughing.
Montbell became successful fairly quickly, with a reliable yet affordable sleeping bag becoming one of its early breakthrough products. |
Elizabeth Beattie
Tatsuno takes pleasure in his life, his work and in nature. While his youth was all about reaching the pinnacle, he's now far more interested in enjoying the journey.
'So many people ask me the same question, 'What is your next goal?' But I don't have one,' he said.
Tatsuno has already succeeded in making the ideal outdoor clothing under his own brand, and now he wonders where the brand will take him next.
'It's like climbing a mountain; you should enjoy the way. I'm already satisfied walking on this trail. I don't know which way we'll go in the future.
'We just follow the road. And enjoy today, and tomorrow,' he said.