0123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz あいうえおかきくけこさしすせそたちつてとなにぬねのはひふへほまみむめもやゆよらりるれろわをん アイウエオカキクケコサシスセソタチツテトナニヌネノハヒフヘホマミムメモヤユヨラリルレロワヲン
0123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz あいうえおかきくけこさしすせそたちつてとなにぬねのはひふへほまみむめもやゆよらりるれろわをん アイウエオカキクケコサシスセソタチツテトナニヌネノハヒフヘホマミムメモヤユヨラリルレロワヲン

HLC Tohoku

Located in Shiwa, Iwate, Knotty is an outdoor shop surrounded by diverse natural landscapes and serves as an HLC Place. It is led by shop owner and HLC ambassador Hiroki Ueno, along with Yasuharu Kurinami, the farm manager of "Sukerokuen" in Takizawa, both serving as ambassadors. Knotty offers programs in its home mountains, including Hachimantai, Mount Iwate, the Kitakami Highlands, and the Michinoku Coastal Trail. Taking advantage of the region’s abundant snowfall, the shop also organizes winter tent-hiking trips and other snow-related activities.

PROGRAM

Programs by HLC Tohoku

2025 Category & Title
April 12–13 LIFE & COMMUNITY　 HLC Tohoku 2-Day Meetup Hike
May 11 BASIC　 Intro to UL Hiking (Dried Flower Shop Towaka / Shiwa)
June 20–22 PRACTICE　 Volcano Trail 3-Day UL Hiking
August 2–3 LIFE & COMMUNITY　 HLC Tohoku, HLC North Kanto & HLC Kamakura 2-Day Meetup Hike
September 27–28 BASIC　 Michinoku Coastal Trail 2-Day Workshop
November 9 BASIC　 Intro to UL Hiking (Dried Flower Shop Towaka / Shiwa)
March 14–15 AMBASSADOR’S SIGNATURE　 Goyozan 2-Day Winter Hut Stay Hike
Hiroki Ueno

Hiroki Ueno上野 裕樹

HLC Tohoku ambassador

Hiroki moved to New York in his teens, where he immersed himself in dance and street culture. After returning to Japan, he reconnected with nature with through hiking, backcountry skiing, climbing, trail running, and river trekking. Driven by his passion for the outdoors, Knotty in Shiwa, Iwate Prefecture, with the goal of promoting safe and enjoyable adventures.

Koji Kurinami

Koji Kurinami栗波 康治

Yamatomichi HLC Tohoku Ambassador

Born in 1977 in Saitama Prefecture and now based in Takizawa, Iwate, Koji previously worked in fitness club management, relocating across Japan until the Great East Japan Earthquake shifted his perspective on food, leading him to leave the corporate world and pursue farming. His passion for hiking began with the Michinoku Coastal Trail, where he connected with HLC Tohoku and found himself hiking almost weekly. Now, he is dedicated to sharing that passion, fostering freedom, a deep connection with nature, and a strong sense of community through ultralight hiking.

NEWS

HLC NEWS