Contributor Spotlight
Meet Mat
Climber, researcher, and bilingual guide helping international climbers feel at home in Japan’s gym scene
Hi, I’m Mat — the climber behind Climbing Japan
I started climbing in 2018 at Hangar 18 in Southern California. It stayed a casual hobby until a family trip to Okinawa flipped a switch. My brother and I dropped into D.Bouldering Okinawa, watched local kids cruise through sandbagged problems, and both immediately got shut down on a V0. The humility stuck. And lit my obsession with climbing.
Since then I’ve trained three days a week, carried my shoes travelling across continents, and made regular family climbing trips back to Japan. One of my favorite moments is still the double-take when someone sees me fall off a problem, then hears my fluent Japanese asking the regulars for beta. Progress may be slow, but the stoke to improve is constant.
Climbing Japan exists so travelers can experience that same joy without fighting language barriers (and hard to navigate Japanese websites from the early 2000's). I research every gym in both English and Japanese, confirm the details that matter (like whether there's a first time registration fee), and simplify everything so you can focus on climbing, not confusion.
Climbing Experience
- Years on the wall: Climbing since 2018, this past year with consistent 3x weekly training focused on bouldering technique, strength training, and moon board sessions.
- Japan mileage: Annual multi-city trips across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Okinawa, and regional prefectures off the beaten path. As many bouldering gyms as possible logged each visit.
- Global mileage: Sessions in Berlin, Bali, and everywhere in between to stay adaptable to different setting styles and enjoy the quirks of climbing in new countries.
- Language and culture: Native English with fluent Japanese (JLPT N1 equivalent) for researching Japanese climbing beta and translating it into something everyone can understand.
Professional Background
- Cross-cultural marketing: Eight years in the gaming industry, from advertising for Final Fantasy games to launching and marketing Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 while at SEGA.
- Wellness training: Graduate of the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach) and RYT-200 yoga instructor.
- Travel researcher: Expat since 2020 and travelled 30+ countries with an emphasis on adventure and culture-first experiences.
- Content craftsmanship: Combine research, field notes, and community insight to produce clear, accurate climbing guides for the global climbing community.
How I Research Every Gym
- Visit as many gyms as possible in person: stopping at a bouldering gym in every city I visit during my annual Japan trips, from Okinawa to Hokkaido.
- Verify in both languages: Cross-check Japanese and English online sources, check gym social channels, and confirm details directly when needed (especially those ambiguous pricing charts).
Featured Guides
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Tokyo Bouldering Guide
70+ gyms with transit tips, cost breakdowns, and most popular gyms for climbers of all levels.
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National Gym Directory
A Japan-wide gym database with route details, language support filters, and honest community notes (launching with Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka).
Stay Connected
- Newsletter: Coming soon. Monthly updates on new gyms, route resets, travel tips, and regional highlights.
- Social Media: Coming soon. Accurate guides first, social algorithms later.
Reach Out
If you catch me puzzling over a slab in Tokyo or sipping pre and post-climb vending machine coffee in Kyoto, say hi. I’m always happy to trade beta, talk projects, and help visiting climbers feel at home in Japan.
Explore gyms researched by Mat