　Canyoneer Akira Tanaka　

Besides work as a guide, exploring valleys around the world.

The expedition to the Seti Gorge in the Himalayas has been selected for the 2023 Naomi Uemura Adventure Award!

New York Festival Gold Award Winner! NHK's documentary about the Seti Gorge expedition won the gold award in the nature and wildlife category at an international festival!

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CANYONING

Canyoning (called Canyoneering in the US) is an outdoor sport that involves descending a canyon from upstream to downstream using a variety of techniques, including trekking, rappelling, climbing, swimming, and diving. It originated in Europe and is widely practiced overseas, but in recent years it has also become popular in Japan, with guided tours now being held all over the country. It is not just a leisure activity, but also a very effective way to explore steep canyons.

PROFILE AKIRA TANAKA

Commission Internationale de Canyon (CIC) certified instructorDeputy Director, Japan Canyoning Association

Biography

Born November 10, 1972

Graduated from Kansai University Faculty of Letters, Department of History and Geography.

While at university, he was a member of the Exploration Club. He spent a month in Madagascar treetops to develop methods for studying tree canopies. After graduating, he worked as a rafting guide on the Yoshino River in Shikoku for a while, but in the early 2000s, he discovered canyoning, an activity that originated in Europe, and became absorbed in it.

In 2017, he became the only internationally certified canyoning guide instructor in Asia.

Based in a 230-year-old traditional house in Kochi, he continues to explore valleys around the world while working as a guide, canyoning instructor, and on location for TV shoots.

2023 Naomi Uemura Adventure Award winner

[Major expeditions]

2016 Taiwan: Chakansi

2018 New Zealand: Groomy Gorge

2020 Taiwan: Kashasi

2023 Himalayas: Seti Gorge