No preparation is fun. The founder of Montbell shares his surprising travel style

Travel is connected to work and leisure. Don't do much research beforehand, just go to the destination

OnTrip JAL Editorial Department (hereinafter, JAL): We have the impression that you have visited many places, both for work and for personal reasons, from within Japan to overseas.

Tatsuno: There is no clear line between work and travel, or play. Just yesterday, as part of a class at Tenri University, I taught students how to canoe on the Yoshino River in Nara. This was part of my job, but I was the one who actually enjoyed it the most (laughs). Until about 10 years ago, I had a lot of work overseas, mainly in the United States, so I would go on trips for about two weeks once a month. But even then, I would go rock climbing or canoeing in Yosemite (a national park in California) in between work.

For me, "travel" is merely a means to achieve a goal, and it is not often that the trip itself is the goal. Most trips are for work, visiting friends, or wanting to go down a river I've never been down before, and there is some other reason or goal for them. So I've probably hardly ever traveled with the goal of visiting so-called tourist spots.

JAL: So you don't do much research before you travel?

Tatsuno: I don't. Well, it's not that I've decided not to do it at all, but I think that in most cases, people have done more research than I do. When I was asked to be a referee for the World Rafting Championships and was going to Costa Rica for the first time, I looked it up in a bookstore, but the only information I could find was that "the capital of Costa Rica is San Jose." I'm sure if I looked it up on the Internet, I'd find a lot of information, but I'm not very good at that sort of thing.

Traveling spontaneously is more fun. You can decide your destination at the airport.

JAL: So you just go to the location.

Tatsuno: That's true. Even if you look at a map, it won't really make sense until you're there. I know I shouldn't say this, considering we publish guidebooks at Montbell Books (laughs). I'm not good at planning things. Let me give you another easy-to-understand example. My daughter wanted to take a family trip before she got married, so I reserved the dates in advance, but we hadn't decided on the destination or anything else until the day itself. So what we did was we all went to the airport, looked at the destinations and available seats on the display, and said, "Let's go to Aomori."

JAL: It's an important family trip, but you decide where to go at the airport on the day of the trip!

Tatsuno: Yes, after checking the return flight, I bought my plane ticket on the spot. When I got there, I rented a car, and the fastest way to get around was to ask local people for advice. In my case, wherever I go, there are Montbell clients and acquaintances, so I ask them for recommendations on places to stay. I look at the map and head to a lodging, only to find that it's really deep in the mountains. So then I think, "Is there anywhere nearby that I can go to next...?" and I just go from place to place, hitting the road like that. For me, this kind of trip is definitely more interesting.

JAL: I imagine there are times when it's difficult, like not being able to find a place to stay for the night.

Tatsuno: There have been many times when I felt anxious abroad because I couldn't find a place to stay even at night. That was fine when I was younger, but once you get older, you usually rent a larger car and take a tent with you. If you can't find a place to stay, you can sleep in the car or in a tent.

JAL: From the airport onwards, the journey is like connecting the dots; I've become interested in trying it out at least once.

Tatsuno: JAL has a "senior same-day discount." If you are 65 or older and there are seats available on the day of departure, you can get a ticket for about 10,000 yen anywhere in Japan. If you use this, you can decide on your destination at the airport. Seniors probably have plenty of time, so I recommend you try it. I also find JAL's senior discount very useful.

"Even if you forget something, it'll be okay. Just relax."

JAL: I'm also curious about how you prepare for your trips. For example, do you tend to carry a lot of luggage when you travel?

Tatsuno: I also have mountain gear, so it's not a small amount at all. But no matter what kind of trip I'm going on, I prepare everything quickly on the morning I leave and then I leave. At home, I have a workroom where all my travel gear is collected on one wall, so I can just pick out my backpack, rain gear, and so on, in order. I went to Switzerland for 10 days last week, and I prepared everything on the morning I left.

JAL: When you're getting ready on the morning of your departure, do you ever forget to bring something?

Tatsuno: I did forget a few things. But, hey, I can manage it.

JAL: Anything is possible, that's the spirit.

Tatsuno: I'd like to ask you the opposite: what are some things that you can't do anything about? (laughs) Some people lament when they miss their flight as if it's the end of the world, but you can just catch the next one. I'm sure you're anxious about not being able to do what you had planned, but I think it all comes down to how you think about it.