It Was Packrafting That Brought Me Back to the River

日本語記事はこちら: 川から物理的にも精神的にも離れていた自分を川に引き戻してくれたのは、パックラフトでした！

I had always been active outdoors — camping, hiking, cycling, snowboarding — though all of it strictly as a hobby. At some point about 20 years ago, I got in touch with an acquaintance who was working as a river guide, and before long I found myself doing the same. After a mix of full-time and part-time guiding work, life eventually pulled me away from the river — both physically and mentally.

I had known about packrafts for a while, but it wasn’t until 2022 that I actually got in one and paddled a river again. The reason was simple: I just wanted to go river paddling again, purely for the fun of it.

From that first trip, the more I paddled, the more hooked I became. I started hunting down gear and information from overseas sources almost daily. (I fully fell down the rabbit hole somewhere around age 40.)

So while my overall river paddling experience spans about 18 years, my packraft-specific experience is still only around three years — which means if you’re just starting out, I’d love for you to feel like we’re in similar territory. If you ever spot me out on the water, please feel free to say hello.

When I first started looking into packrafting in Japan, one thing became clear pretty quickly: the information just wasn’t there. Fellow packrafters — did you feel the same way?

There have always been early adopters using packrafts in Japan, and recently media coverage has started to grow, with more manufacturers entering the market. But information on accessories, safety, and field conditions is still limited compared to other outdoor activities.

Japan has a deeply rooted hiking culture, but river paddling has been on a slow decline since the Canadian canoe boom of the 1980s and 90s. These days, the river SUP scene is gaining momentum — people moving from flatwater SUP into moving water — and it’s exciting to watch. That said, I’m not hoping for an explosive trend (rapid booms tend to bring just as rapid a collapse). What I’m hoping for is something quieter and more lasting: a culture of river paddling that takes root steadily and stays.

Until that day, I’ll keep sharing. I hope this blog becomes a useful resource for you.