Thoreau Takes the Intellectuals to the Mountains

—You've created something remarkable.

KobayashiIt’s truly one-of-a-kind (laughs). I originally wanted to release it for Thoreau's 200th birthday in 2017, but I’m glad it’s finally being released by Medicom Toy.

—How did you first encounter Thoreau?

KobayashiMountain Research began with the theme of mountain living attire. While searching for land to practice this lifestyle, I was introduced to the work of Yoshio Tabuchi by Toshimitsu Aono, an editor at Spectator. Tabuchi had moved from Tokyo to Kawakami Village, Nagano Prefecture, in the mid-1980s to live a self-sufficient life, and his writing had a profound impact on me.SpectatorTabuchi, an authority on mountain living who was also involved in the launch of BE-PAL, frequently mentioned Thoreau in his writings. I had heard of Walden: Life in the Woods, but I became curious about who he really was. I then read various works by Thoreau, and was particularly drawn to his essayYoshio Tabuchiand was deeply inspired.

TabuchiBE-PALwas a pioneer in mountain living and was involved in the launch of BE-PAL. His writings often referenced Thoreau. I had a passing familiarity with Walden: Life in the Woods, but I became curious about who he truly was. I then delved into his other works and was particularly captivated by his essayCivil DisobedienceEssentially, it advocates for obeying only one's conscience and refusing to comply with laws or orders that conflict with it, using non-violent means. This presented a different facet of Thoreau than Walden: Life in the Woods, which I found incredibly compelling. While Thoreau the nature writer remains timeless, witnessing the deep-rooted protest movements in America and France, I cannot fully endorse their sometimes violent methods. However, the concept articulated in Civil Disobedience serves as a powerful counterpoint, remaining relevant today. I wanted my customers, who appreciate Mountain Research clothing, to explore this for themselves. It started with T-shirts printed with Thoreau's slogans and portraits, which evolved into an imagined narrative of Thoreau leading intellectuals like Marx, Lenin, and Mao into the mountains, ultimately leading to the figure series

While Thoreau the nature writer remains timeless, witnessing the deep-rooted protest movements in America and France, I cannot fully endorse their sometimes violent methods. However, the concept articulated in Civil Disobedience serves as a powerful counterpoint, remaining relevant today. I wanted my customers, who appreciate Mountain Research clothing, to explore this for themselves. It started with T-shirts printed with Thoreau's slogans and portraits, which evolved into an imagined narrative of Thoreau leading intellectuals like Marx, Lenin, and Mao into the mountains, ultimately leading to the figure seriesMountain man(s).

This composition strongly resonates with how Tabuchi guided us into the woods, inspiring our own journey.

—The spirit of Civil Disobedience seems to echo the anarcho-punk philosophy espoused by the British bandCRASS, doesn't it?

KobayashiBoth aim for a "world without rulers." In essence, "practice without thought" is meaningless, and "thought without practice" is even more so. In this regard, Thoreau remains at the very core of my being.

—What was the first Mountain Research item to feature Thoreau's words or portrait?



This might be a tangent, but doesn't it feel veryPOPEYE-esque? It reminds me of the feeling I got readingMade in U.S.A.He lived a self-sufficient life in the woods by Walden Pond, yet he frequently returned to town. This might be disrespectful to Thoreau scholars, but I've always felt that Thoreau wasn't so much a "solitary figure" as he was a "casual, agitation-loving old man" (laughs).

The propaganda heroes of the '70s punk scene, likeLenin,Marx, are to me what Thoreau represents. If theiranarchy shirtsfeatured Marx's portrait, then our shirts feature Thoreau's. He's that type of hero for me.

Page 02.The Primal, With Nowhere Simpler to Return

The Primal, With Nowhere Simpler to Return

—Previously, the Mountain man(s) series released by Mountain Research was in the 1/22.5 scale (approximately 8cm per figure), the same scale used for dioramas in Germany.




porcelain portraits, so they were apparently distributed with soft vinyl figures. Very few are believed to exist today. While collecting them, I noticed that some of these vinyl Mao figures were made with glow-in-the-dark material. I thought it would be great if the Thoreau figure could also be made with glow-in-the-dark material.





—So there was a story behind it.

KobayashiAll of our productions that have an original source carry the spirit of Thoreau's philosophy. The aforementioned "segen pax" brand's slogan was "Advanced Simplicity." Several years ago, for leather mountain boots, I persuaded a craftsman who had made boots for Japanese Everest expeditions to reproduce a mold they cherished. Both are extremely simple, primal objects with nowhere simpler to return. It relates to the question posed in Walden: Life in the Woods, 'What is the ultimate simplicity?'

Through my research, I discovered that until around the 1960s, there were only one or two types of leather used for mountaineering boots. One was Swiss-made, and brands in Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US all used it. Essentially, people worldwide used the same material and made boots using the same method (Norwegian process), adapted to their respective countries.

In an era when mountain scenery was universal, the materials for boots and backpacks were also the most ordinary (primal), and here is Thoreau, carrying them in a T-shirt and shorts.

—Having this figure in your room must make you want to go hiking anytime.

KobayashiIt truly feels like a dream. The backpack and boots have such faithful detail. It's surreal to see Thoreau wearing the productions we created by imitating our predecessors.

The straps on this backpack have no padding, just felt. Our Mountain Research staff know firsthand how strenuous it is to carry about 20kg of gear with them. It requires a different mindset and resolve than when handling modern gear. While convenience is often prioritized, I believe there's value in having things that allow us to return to such primal simplicity.

Mountain man(s)