Climb a Tree, Change Your Life!

Where We Call Home.

Recreational tree climbing - a fun and exciting outdoor activity.

Upon reaching the canopy, climbers are rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment and a view of the world - and even life - from a new angle.

So says this man who works to make tree climbing popular throughout Japan - Canadian John Gathright.

Every child should climb a tree once.

It builds self-confidence.

Since childhood, climbing trees has been an energizing source of encouragement for John who now wants everyone to know of its benefits.

Climbing makes people love trees...

and Japanese forests.

Let's get a closer look at John's efforts to enrich people's lives by communicating his love of trees and forests.

Seto City in Aichi Prefecture is surrounded by quiet forested mountains.

Located on a mountainside is John's house.

This is our treehouse.

We didn't cut any trees to build it.

The house was built around the trees on the site without cutting them.

Several of them run up through the roof.

Come on in!

He built it twenty years ago using only scrap wood like railroad crossties and utility poles to preserve the local trees.

This is our dining room
in a miso barrel.

This is where we eat.

The dining room is in a recycled three-hundred-year-old barrel that was used to ferment miso.

Next to the house...

is a second treehouse.

This is John's base of operations from where he runs his tree-climbing NPO and a company that develops and sells tree-climbing gear.

John's laughter-inducing, cheerful demeanor seems contagious.

- "How would you describe John?"
- Simply put, he's so jovial.

He's also very creative.

He's a developer, an engineer...

He plays around, climbing trees.
He's full of surprises.

Recreational tree climbing originated in the US in the 1980s when forestry workers adapted their climbing technique to make it a fun and safe activity.

Some twenty years ago, John introduced and promoted the sport in Japan, and has been organizing events for people to give it a try.

It's relatively simple.

The climber puts a foot in a loop, which is used to move up along the rope by simply extending his or her leg.

A special knot can be raised along the rope, but it never slips back down.

Once the climber gets the hang of it, it's easy to ascend even the tallest trees.

It can help change a child's life.

They gain self-respect and
a love and interest for trees.

My dream is for it to be
popular worldwide.

John grew up surrounded by the luxuriant greenery of Vancouver Island.

He had a rather difficult childhood.

His parents' divorce when he was six years old caused him to become shy and lack confidence.

He was even the target of bullying at school.

John always found support and encouragement in his grandfather whom he loved dearly.

One day, his grandfather suggested he climbed a tree.

He said, 'Now look around and
tell me what you see.' 'Can you see your school?'
I said, 'Yes!'

'Tiny, isn't it?' he said.

'Change how you look at it,
and your school becomes tiny.' That's when I began to change.

From atop a tree, the world looks a whole lot different.

After that, whenever John was going through hardships, he climbed a tree and found the strength to overcome them.

Your favorite: walnut sweets!

John lives with his wife Hiroko.

They first met when he was studying in Japan, and got married when John was thirty.

Since John moved to Japan, Hiroko has been supporting him in his work writing articles for newspapers and magazines, and for his tree climbing project, which started with a lucky encounter.

A woman with a physical disability came to John's book signing event.

Ms. Hikosaka is very important to me.

It's thanks to her that I started
tree climbing in Japan.

A traffic accident had left Hikosaka Toshiko with limited mobility - only able to use her right arm freely.

She told John she hoped to one day be able to climb a tree and look at the view from up high, just like she used to as a child.

I was surprised.

But I imagined how great it would be
for someone like her to do that.

I immediately said 'Yes!' John wished to make Hikosaka's dream a reality.

He went to the US to learn more about recreational tree climbing from one of the pioneers of the sport.

But he was told it was impossible for someone with a disability to climb using the gear available at the time.

He then worked on developing climbing equipment and experimenting on its use.

Hikosaka's dream had also become his own.

Then, three years later...

...the day had finally come.

Doing good!

After a thirty-minute ascent to the top, she was greeted by a view of the world unlike anything else.

Look around!

It's amazing!

You're at the top!

The experience not only changed her life; it changed John's as well.

John now teaches applied biology at a local university, giving lectures on woodland conservation.

His study of the effects of tree climbing on the body and mind earned him recognition as an expert in the field.

He conducted experiments where he compared the stress and fatigue felt by people who climbed a tree versus those who climbed a human-made structure of the same height.

Results showed that going up a tree was less tiring and even had a therapeutic effect on the mind.

John's research was met with a very positive reception, appearing in major international science publications.

Climbing a tree offers an experience
children can't get otherwise.

It gives them courage.

They become more sociable.

It makes people happy.

Today, John helps out at an event held by fellow tree climbing enthusiasts in Yokohama.

Come in!

Participants are local children aged between six and ten.

- Are you excited?
- Yes.

- First time?
- Yes.

- I wanna go to the highest spot.
- Really? Let's start slowly.

The youngest of the group is six-year-old Sota.

He's eager to climb to the highest point - about ten meters from the ground.

The kids quickly get the knack of it and rapidly ascend their ropes.

But Sota is lagging.

He's having difficulty using the climbing gear.

Press down!

Stand up and press hard!

Hold on to this part.

Yes, go up!

He got the hang of it.

Go slowly!

He's now at the halfway point - five meters.

Just a little more.

Doing great!

Stand up!

He finally reached his goal.

- How many meters?
- More than ten!

- I wanna get a leaf.
- OK, go gently.

Climbing up the tree has sparked his interest.

Keep it preciously.

- It was fun!
- Alright!

- Did you enjoy it?
- Yes.

Whenever things are hard at school,
remember today.

It was hard but you gave it
your all and did it.

If you can climb a tree,
you can do anything.

John wants the experience of reaching a goal through their own efforts to give the children confidence in life.

He also hopes this will foster in them the wish to preserve trees and forests.

It's been around twenty-five years since John came to settle down in Seto.

A recent issue is troubling him.

- You've gained weight.
- It's because I'm happy.

- Having trouble with boars?
- Everyone here is.

Recently, wild boars have been encroaching on the residents' properties, causing damage to crops.

The ageing and decline of the population, along with the deterioration of the local forests, is upsetting the balance between humans and nature.

I'll come back to fix it.

- I'm almost about to give up.
- I'll think of a solution.

The whole region has been
affected by the boars.

This sudden worsening of the situation is not unique to the Seto area.

For John, who's life has been enriched by tree climbing, the conservation of forests in his country of adoption has become a new mission.

For the past few years, John's been putting efforts in a new project.

Training future experts in forest preservation.

Today, he's giving a lecture in Kochi, another region with abundant woodlands.

In a way, Japanese forestry is
the world's best...

with communities near woodlands,
afforestation, and virgin forests.

John then teaches the participants things like climbing techniques that are safe for trees and how to trim branches to better promote regrowth - methods he himself developed through trial and error.

Forests cover around seventy percent of the country's land.

John wants to use tree climbing as a tool to train the next generations of workers who'll preserve Japan's woodlands and develop forestry.

Forests are being cut down worldwide.
They're only seen as resources.

In Japan, forests have given birth to life
and culture. They're highly valued.

I want the world to value them, too.

Autumn has arrived in the forests of Seto.

Good morning!

Children come to visit.

Good morning!
Come on in.

Today, for the first time in three years, John welcomes a group of kids for a day of tree climbing near his house.

Put on hold due to the lingering pandemic, the event can finally be held once again.

Sadly, the weather isn't very favorable.

Thank you, forest, for welcoming us!

But John prepared another activity to replace tree climbing.

I hid treasures in the woods.

The children compete to find as many hidden objects as they can.

Try to look up.

Hang in there.

- Like a caterpillar.
- Yes, you found one!

He wants to give kids an opportunity to become more familiar with forests.

Instead of just seeing forests
as 'simply forests'...

look carefully; you'll find
all kinds of things.

By chopping logs, the children learn how wood supported everyday life as a source of heat.

Then they use the wood to bake some sweet potatoes.

Although they couldn't climb trees, the kids enjoyed some fun time in the forest.

- Was it fun?
- Yes.

- What was the best part?
- The sweet potatoes.

- Did you learn anything?
- To protect forests.

And to keep nature clean.

We could even enjoy the sound
of the rain in the forest.

It was a fun experience
we can't have at home.

"How was it?"

Everyone was smiling.
They seemed to enjoy the forest.

Would've been nice to climb, though.

Just as tree climbing transformed his life, John hopes it does the same for others.

His woodland adventures continue.

Yay, forest!

Hi, I'm Matsuko.
I became a Japanese citizen in 2013.

I assist foreigners in Japan who want
to find work or change jobs.

Let me show you my work.

Katsushika, Tokyo 7:45 a.m.
sending off her family

Off you go!

- Bye!
- Bye! Have a nice day!

8:00 a.m.
breakfast I don't have much time for lunch
so I start with a hearty breakfast.

9:00 a.m.
work starts Ever since the pandemic began,
I've been working from home.

I work at my desk here every day.

She does three hour-long meetings a day
with foreigners looking for work in Japan.

What are you looking for?

I'd like to work in translation
or interpreting.

Can you work on weekends?

Yes.

She introduces jobs to foreigners
who can speak Japanese.

What's your current resident status?

She makes sure they fulfill
the requirements.

Do you have any questions so far?

Can we practice job interviews?

Of course, if you'd like, we can do
job interview training sessions.

She familiarizes herself with the needs
of the job seekers to offer support.

Once a month, she goes to the office
to share information.

Good morning!

With her colleagues, she finds positions
the job seekers can apply for.

So far, she's found work for 100 people
in her three years with the company.

My work isn't over after I talk
with the person looking for a job.

Once they do find a job,
I can finally say my work is done.

I often say, 'This person
can be successful in Japan.' 'Let's give him or her a chance.'

Matsuko came to study in Japan in 2003
and graduated university here in 2009.

However, she had difficulty
finding employment.

In 2013 she married a Chinese man.

She later obtained Japanese citizenship
and found her current job in 2019.

I sent my resume to many companies,
but never got any replies.

It was tough. That's why now, I want
to help newly graduates find work.

On days when she works from home,
she always makes time during her break...

to go and meet her son
as he comes back from school.

I'm back!

She helps him with his homework
as she keeps working.

I'm so thankful for being able
to take care of my son while I work.

This is my supervisor, Toshishige-san.

Nice to meet you.

We usually work together remotely.

She often has heated discussions...

with Yamamoto-san.

She's passionate.

- "Do you only talk about work?"
- No.

We talk about our children.

I have two boys, one is eight,
the other, six.

My son's eight, too.

We talk about when our kids get sick.

My kids wanted to see snow.

Luckily, it snowed in Tokyo.
We talk about stuff like that.

She's so supportive.

She's always there to help me
when I make mistakes.

It's thanks to her support
that I got where I am today.

I'm going to cry.

I really mean it.

This is my treasure.

The company provided me
with this laptop soon after I joined.

I thought I was going to have an old one.

But there it was,
a brand-new laptop on my desk.

I'll never forget how happy
I felt that day.

My dream for the future is for my son
to grow strong and healthy.

That's my biggest wish in life.