Yamap
We want to revive the forgotten “old road” of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, Mt. Kinpu. Crowdfunding for the “Kinpusan Kodo Revival Project” has started
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Yamap Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka City, CEO Yoshihiko Haruyama, hereinafter referred to as Yamap), which operates the mountain climbing map GPS application “YAMAP”, is located in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture (hereinafter referred to as Kofu City), and E-Design General Insurance Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as E-Design General Insurance). We are pleased to announce that, in collaboration with mountaineers living in Yamanashi Prefecture, we will start crowdfunding on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, to revive the ancient path of Mt. Kinpusan.
What is the “Kinpusan Kodo Revival Project”?
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This is a project to open a forest road that connects to Mitakemichi, which was once used as Omotesando at Mt. Kinpu, one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, so that it can be used by the general public. Kinpusan is a mountain with an altitude of 2,599m that straddles Kofu City and Kawakami Village, Nagano Prefecture. It is a beautiful mountain that has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, with the characteristic giant rock “Gojo Rock” at the summit, and has been an object of worship since ancient times. In fact, there is an “ancient road” on Mt. Kinpu that is being forgotten. This road is called “Omote-sando” and was used by mountain monks and ascetics as an “Omotesando” to go from Kanazakura Shrine at the foot of the mountain to the main shrine (Gojoiwa) at the top of the mountain. Along the way, there are sights such as mysterious rocks called “Tosakaiwa” and “One-handed Rock,” and “Suisho Pass,” where crystals were once found, and when you look back, you can see Mt. Fuji. You can also.
However, with the opening of other climbing routes with easier access to the summit, the number of climbers who visited the mountain began to decline.
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Kinpusan
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The crowdfunding target amount is set at 13 million yen by January 31st, which covers the minimum necessary construction costs for forest road maintenance. If the target amount is raised, construction will begin in the spring of 2024, with completion planned for the fall. If a new forest road is opened through this crowdfunding, you will be able to enjoy mountain climbing using the “Otakemichi”, the old Omotesando approach to Mt. Kinpu, which was almost forgotten by many people.
Furthermore, we believe that this project can serve as a model case for everyone to solve the problems faced by Japan’s mountains. Japan is home to many mountains with rich nature and a culture and history that have been cultivated over time. However, there are many cases where maintenance is no longer viable due to labor shortages associated with the declining birthrate and aging population and chronic funding shortages in local governments. That’s why I hope to create a way to protect Japan’s mountains and the culture and history that are rooted there through crowdfunding, which brings together the efforts of people who love Japan’s nature. Nature should belong to everyone, not someone else’s property, which is why we want to protect it with our own hands as people who love nature, rather than relying on funds from the country, specific local governments, or companies. This project embodies these wishes.
We appreciate your continued support and understanding.
Crowdfunding overview
・Project name: Kinpusan Kodo Revival Project
・Project members: Kofu City, Yamap Co., Ltd., E-Design General Insurance Co., Ltd., Mt. Kinpusa Love Association/Outing Products Erc. Ltd. (established 40 years ago, a long-established outdoor shop in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture), Kazuaki Amano (Kokusai Mountain Co., Ltd.) Guide), Sachi Watanabe (climbing guide), Kenichi Yamamoto (professional mountain athlete)
・Amount offered: 13 million yen
・Usage of donations: Minimum necessary construction costs for forest road maintenance, sending return gifts
・Application period: December 6, 2023 (Wednesday) – January 31, 2024 (Wednesday) ・Crowdfunding URL: https://readyfor.jp/projects/kinpusan
・Project special page URL: https://ande-mtkinpu.yamap.com
Past activities of E-design Sompo and YAMAP
YAMAP is in collaboration with E-Design Insurance’s car insurance company &e, which has a mission of “co-creating not only peace of mind in the event of an accident, but also a world without
accidents,” along with “&e,” an automobile insurance company from E-Design Insurance that has the mission of “co-creating not only peace of mind in the event of an accident, but also a world without accidents.” We have continued to carry out activities that contribute to the safety of mountain climbers, focusing on the risk of accidents. Specifically,
・Proposal for a review of &e, which can measure daily driving behavior in case of an accident when climbing in a private car.
・Activities to promote “safe driving on snowy roads” to winter mountain climbers.
・Exchange of opinions on the use of big data to realize an accident-free society We have carried out various activities such as:
Through the “Kinpusan Ancient Trail Revival Project,” we hope to pave the way to a “safer future” for mountain climbing by improving the forest roads that lead to Ontake-do.
We will promote this project in cooperation with E-Design Insurance, which aims to create an accident-free society, so that as many people as possible can enjoy Mt. Kinpu’s wonderful mountain trail safely and with peace of mind.
[About YAMAP]
An app that makes mountain climbing fun and safe, allowing you to know your current location and climbing route using your smartphone’s GPS, even in the mountains where there is no signal. It is Japan’s largest mountain climbing/outdoor platform where you can record your hiking trails and photos as an activity record, use them to collect mountain information, and interact with mountain climbing enthusiasts from all over the country. In October 2023, the total number of downloads exceeded 4 million. (August 2021 Climbing App User Survey [App Ape Research])
URL: https://yamap.com/
[Yamap Co., Ltd. Company Profile]
Company name Yamap Co., Ltd.
Head office location: 6F Hakata AG Building, 3-23-20 Hakata Ekimae, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City
Capital (including capital reserves) 100 million yen
Business summary
1. Operation of WEB service/smartphone app “YAMAP” for mountain climbing/outdoor activities
2. Management of “YAMAP STORE”, a select online store for
mountaineering and outdoor goods
3. Management of “YAMAP MAGAZINE”, a media that creates the future of mountaineering culture
4. Operation of “YAMAP TRAVEL”, a mountain travel platform that connects guides and climbers
5. Operation of nature-specific crowdfunding “YAMAP FUNDING” 6. Content development, consulting, promotion, etc. utilizing mountains and nature
URL: https://corporate.yamap.co.jp/
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000199.000011352.html