My name is Jon Berry. Born and raised in England, I have been enjoying walking and hiking since a young age, when family holidays were spent in the hills and mountains of the Lake District. My interest in Japan grew when I was in university, and I decided to move here in 2002. I have been living in Kagawa Prefecture ever since, and I am fluent in Japanese.
I have hiked more mountains than I can remember, from the mountains of Shikoku Island to the Japanese Alps and the volcanic mountains of Hokkaido in the north. There are almost 16,000 mountains in Japan and over 418 named ones on Shikoku Island, with each and every one being unique. The adventure is boundless, and I’m always discovering new places off the beaten path.
Since 2023, I have been leading and co-leading hikes in Kagawa and sometimes in Ehime and Tokushima too. I have confidence in my leading, organizing, orienteering, and first aid application skills. I am a qualified first aid provider and take extreme care with every detail of a walk. My motto is “Tread lightly and enjoy the walk.”
I am involved in nature conservation, litter picking, and believe in respecting nature and leaving things as they are. I will never pick flowers or mushrooms, however beautiful they are!
Through our walks, I hope the conversations and sights will bring us closer to nature and also to each other’s cultures and ways of being.
I’m Mari Berry. I was born in Kotohira, Kagawa Prefecture, a small town at the foot of Kompira Shrine. I grew up close to nature, always climbing trees, collecting acorns, and looking for places to play.
I love meeting people from various countries, learning about their culture and sharing Japanese culture too. I enjoy traveling, beading, taking photos, and making onigiri (rice balls).
I have worked in various fields such as tour coordination, sales, and caregiving, but now I provide assistance and management to Jon with his tours. I will be able to join some of the walks when I can.
Jon and I met each other on Nekoyama Mountain, and this is near where we live now. Our home and office are in a small countryside community called Kurikuma, which literally translates as “chestnut bear”. Don’t worry, though. There are no bears in our neck of the woods!