Meet the Team: Kohei Kanno

Canyons is not just a company, but it's a community.

The people that run Canyons are not just employees but they are family.

We want to share their story with you!

Kohei is originally from Sydney, Australia!

He moved to Japan 10 years ago for the snow, met Canyons' boss Mike Harris at a ski resort and the rest is history!

He is now on his 9th season working as a canyoning guide.

Kohei thought he was going to be a rafting instructor but when he showed up for his first day of work, he was assigned for canyoning.

He didn't even know what canyoning was at first but:

"As soon as I started, it was so fun and I was so glad to have come here," he says.

"The vibe and the awesome crew make me want to come back every season! I feel like a family more than a co-worker."

What does your day-to-day look like?

Wake up, jump in the water, refresh customers, refresh ourselves at the same time, beer o'clock, BBQ time, repeat.

What's your favourite part of working with Canyons?

Always meeting new customers and being able to see them smile and laugh. Also, the crew I work with make it 100x better!

Where are your favourite parts of Japan's nature to explore?

Minakami and Okutama.

In Minakami, you can do pretty much everything outdoors all season! Rafting, canyoning, bungy jumping, hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding... The list goes on!

Okutama is the perfect place for a quick getaway from the city to see amazing green nature! Just a 1-1.5hr train ride from Shinjuku and you're pretty much in a different world!

What is it like to live in Okutama?

Okutama is a great place full of nature and lots of nice views! Tokyo is also an hour's train away so you can easily go for a night out in the city too! You can enjoy both nature and the city living there.

What's your favourite Canyons course and why?

My favourite course is definitely Big Holy Canyon in Okutama and Fox Canyon in Minakami!

Big Holy Canyon has all aspects of canyoning (ropes, jumps, slides), so it's well balanced out and is just simply fun!

Fox Canyon is pretty much a natural water park and it's so much fun jumping and sliding in it!

Why should people try canyoning in Japan?

Japan is not all about high technology and big cities. There is so many beautiful nature around and canyoning is the perfect way to feel it literally with your whole body!