Snow Peak Origins
In 1958, Snow Peak was founded by Yukio Yamai in the Niigata Prefecture of Japan. After returning to his hometown after World War II, Yukio found solace in climbing Mt. Tanigawa, known for its treacherous and rugged terrain. He repeatedly challenged himself on its mountainside and was rejuvenated by the pure experience under the open sky. He wrote in his journal:
“We link our lives together by a single rope, and it gives us such a beautiful sense of trust in each other. It is such a pure thing. If we could capture the feeling and harness it for the good of society, certainly everything bad or evil would fall away.”
Yamai was dissatisfied with the climbing gear available. So, he founded a climbing equipment company that would become Snow Peak, creating his own line of mountaineering products leveraging the skilled metal craftsman in his hometown of Tsubame-Sanjo. To this day, the dramatic landscape of Niigata inspires Snow Peak products and serves as home to Snow Peak’s Global Headquarters.
