In 2020, the long-awaited Olympic year has arrived!  This year, as Japan is gearing up for the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, it is time to pay attention to the athletes who have grown up in the southern foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains. We take a closer look at the true faces of these athletes who continue to shine in their respective fields through their daily efforts.

You can purely enjoy carving at the ski resorts in the Yatsuagatke area. Because I haul from here, I still participate in alpine competition.
Shinnosuke Kamino

Stick to your own sliding style
Aim for a place on the podium of the World Championships

Alpine snowboarding is about cutting fast through the snow on the slope and accurately navigate through the gates one after another.
"Snowboarding is part of my life," says Shinnoske Kamino, who is fascinated by the speed and accuracy of this aggressive sport.
His initial encounter with snowboarding was when he was 7 years old.
There are many alpine sports athletes in the Southern foothills area of the Yatsugatake. This has been of profound influence on Kamino. After graduating from Nirasaki High School and Waseda University, he belongs to the Toyota Motor Corporation.
With the full support of the company, he is provided with an environment where he is able to immerse himself in snowboarding.
"Alpine snowboarding is still a minor sport. However, because of this sport, I was able to connect with people and show younger students that it is possible to create their own career path through sports. Snowboarding has given and taught me a lot and has brought me to the point where I am now able to compete on a global level. 'What I need to do now is to fully concentrate on my competitive life  and showing results. My role is to raise the morale of the company by showing them that they can take on the world's challenges through trial and error, and by giving them courage and hope.
I feel responsible and proud to carry the name of the company on my shoulders," he said firmly. "Because he is abroad for rigorous training most of the year, his time to go home is limited. "I love Kiyosato because that is where I lived for so many years. There are many soothing elements like the clean air and water and the abundance of nature," he said with a smile.
About the ski resorts scattered in the Yatsugatake area, he explained, "They are specialized in creating a snow quality where you can enjoy carving to the fullest." Despite their compact size, the firmly pressed pistes enhance the performance of the board, making carving pure enjoyment. Powder snow is different. "For anyone who wants to enjoy carving, I would recommend the ski resorts in this area," he smiles.
The main competitions are the World Cup and World Championships. In January this year, he finished ninth at the World cup in Switzerland and was runner-up at the European Cup in February.
"It's all about how well you can focus on what's in front of you and perform at your best when you're on the starting block. This year I have the strong intention to topple the world-leading athletes while staying true to my own style and let a new wind blow. This year I have the strong intention to topple the world-leading athletes while staying true to my own style and let a new wind blow. As long as I do what I have to do, results will show. I will give it my all." In March of last year, he won the All-Japan Championships with an overwhelming result,  to reigned at the top of Japan. But that was only a check-point. ”To show results at the World Cup," and a spot on the world stage, his aim is to finish in the top 8 of the world ranking. Kamino is greedily but composed aiming for a place on the podium. He continues to push his limits, aiming for ever higher.

Shinnosuke Kamino
Born in 1993, Hokuto city. He started snowboarding in Kiyosato highland where his parents run a guesthouse "Curly Village."
After he started to focus on Alpine at the age of 11, he won the All-Japan Junior championships. While at Nirasaki High School, where he belonged to the basketball club, he participated in the World Junior Championships as a member of the U-19 Japan national team. He finished 8th. At the age of 16, he obtained the PSA professional qualification and joined the national team in 2014. After graduating from the Faculty of Sports Science at Waseda University, he joined Toyota Motor Corporation. In 2017 he achieved 11th place, the highest-ranking for a Japanese athlete. Last year he won the All Japan Championships Snowboard Parallel Giant slalom.