The Art of Sawanobori

05 July, 2019 Nolan Yoshiaki Isozaki

Local sawanobori climbers chase the torrents of Hokkaido water that summer heat unlocks

Sawanobori is a modern take on the ancient Japanese practice of travelling upstream through gorges and river valleys. Long before sawanobori became sport, it was a way for the Japanese to bypass forests, overgrown with bamboo and dense undergrowth to get from village to village. 

We took the camera along a mission to a local waterfall which was still slowly letting go of its winter snow.

Climbers:
Yuta Kamimura
Hiro Sato
Yuuma Miyauchi

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Check out more on sawanobori on pages 54 and 55 of Experience Niseko magazine.

Nolan Yoshiaki Isozaki
Nolan Yoshiaki Isozaki

Nolan is from Los Angeles, California, and probably drinks too much coffee. He has a background as a triathlete, photographer, and DJ, discovering his mountain addiction in Hokkaido, Japan. Driven by steep days in remote places, Nolan clocks vertical meters on skis or running shoes and firmly believes in earning those turns.