Get more out of your Powder Belt experience with gear made for Japanese snowy mountains
Over in Higashikawa, “YAMAtune” was founded in 2014 and provides socks for lovers of nature sports all across the world. YAMAtune is available for purchase in stores around Asahikawa as well. Why not browse some of the products to see if they’re a good fit for you during your stay in the Powder Belt ?
YAMAtune is a sock brand founded approximately ten years ago in Higashikawa, a town that has seen an influx of immigrants in recent times. The town of Higashikawa is located at the edge of a vast plain that surrounds Asahikawa and is also at the base of the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group, which includes Mount Asahidake and other mountains standing at over 2,000-metres tall. This makes it a great place to find the perfect balance between work and play in the outdoors as residents here can hit the slopes to shred some world-class powder snow before they clock in for work in the wintertime.
“Not only have tour guides running tours of the mountains and natural areas around here moved over to Higashikawa, but also photographers, designers, and other people of various other talents. This is a fantastic environment for those who develop products that go hand-in-hand with nature because it’s easy to test the products here and share thoughts and information with people working in other fields during the development process.”
Takeshi Mitamura, Sales Director at YAMAtune explains. The company was originally started with their lineup of trail running and trekking to suit the needs of the people living and engaging in activities in the area, but then Mitamura took on the task of increasing their range of winter-sports products geared towards skiing and snowboarding. He used the knowledge gained in his previous role at a ski-boots maker and expanded the lineup of winter products.
“We’re able to design products that absorb shock during exercise by adopting technology used in our running and trekking line that stabilizes the heel while maintaining the arch of the foot. While toe socks are popular for runners, we have created regular socks where the toes are not separated or only the big toe is separated for our winter lineup. Toe socks require more material to encapsulate each toe, leading to wider socks that are not compatible with tight boots. The shape of these socks also affects heat insulation.”
From athletes seeking specialised goods to casual users looking for quality products, there’s bound to be the perfect YAMAtune pair out there just for you.
Web: yamatune.sg
