Yusuke Kakuhata

Japanese Explorer/Author
Born in Ashibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan in 1976.

Career

1997

Skiing and Mountaineering in Tokachi Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido, in the severe mid-winter

1998

Reconnaissance of the Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet

2001

Explored Mamberamo River, Irian Jaya, and the first ascent of Mt. Trikora’s north face

2002

Winter Kurobe Valley crossing / Yakushima solo canyoning, Japan

2002~03

Solo exploration of Yarlung Tsangpo River Gorge, Tibet

2003

Joined The Asahi Shimbun

2008

Left The Asahi Shimbun / Joined Nepalese Snow Man Search Team

2009~10

Solo expedition to Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet (Uninhabited area)

2011

1600 km Arctic trek with Yasunaga Ogita (Resolute Bay to Baker Lake)

2012

Ice climbing Takidani C sawa Okuheki in Gifu / Arctic preparation exploration without GPS, Greenland

2014

Winter walk in N. Greenland with a dog (400 km) / Tuna fishing experimental voyage to South Pacific

2015

Depot stockpiling & kayaking for polar night expedition prep (700 km), Greenland

2016

Winter climb at Yarigatake, Nagano

2016~17

80-day polar night trip in N. Greenland (Siorapaluk to Dallas Bay)

2017

Initial no-map expedition in the Hidaka Mountains, Hokkaido

2018

900 km walk (Siorapaluk to Washington Land), 75 days, Greenland

2019

Dog sleigh training and the first long trip to Humboldt Glacier, Greenland

2020

1250 km dog sleigh trip to Ellesmere Island (Corona period), Greenland, and Canada / Hidaka wandering without a map 2nd expedition, Hokkaido

2021

Dog sleigh to Humboldt Glacier, Greenland / Hidaka no-map 3rd expedition

2022

Dog sleigh in Greenland / Hidaka no-map 4th expedition

2023

1100 km dog sleigh trip with photo project; failed attempt to reach Ellesmere, Greenland, and Canada

2024

1350 km dog sleigh to Ellesmere Island (up to 82°N), Greenland, and Canada

Awards

2010

“Five Miles of Blankness” — Ken Kaiko Non-Fiction Award

2011

“Five Miles of Blankness” — Soichi Oya Non-Fiction Prize & Umesao Prize

2012

“The Snow Man Came from the Other Side” — Jiro Nitta Literature Prize

2013

“The Whereabouts of Agluka” — Kodansha Non-Fiction Award & Ashibetsu Honor

2015

“Explorer’s Days” — Mainichi Publishing Culture Award

2018

“Polar Night Journey” — Yahoo! Bookstore Grand Prize & Osaragi Jiro Prize

Books

Single Author

2006

“The Breath of the River, the Sigh of the Sea” (Katsura Shobo)

2010

“Five Miles of Blankness” (Shueisha)

2011

“The Snow Man Came from the Other Side” (Shueisha)

2012

“Explorer’s Melancholy” (Bungei Shunju)

2012

“The Whereabouts of Agluka” (Shueisha)

2015

“Explorer’s Days and Books” (Gentosha)

2016

“Drifting” / “Art of Traveler’s Expression” / “Explorer, 40-Year-Old Circumstances”

2018

“Polar Night Journey” (Bungei Shunju) / “New Adventure Theory” (Shueisha International)

2019

“The Explorer and Penelope-chan” (Gentosha)

2019

“I Don’t Climb Mount Everest” (Shogakukan)

2020

“The Mountain There” (Chuokoron Shinsha)

2021

“Hunting Thinking” (Shimizu Kobundo)

2022

“Naked Earth Part 1: Hunting and Drifting” (Shueisha)

2023

“Naked Earth Part 2: Inuzori Kotohajime” (Shueisha)

2024

“The Impurity of Writing” (Chuo Koron / TBD) / “Mountains Without a Map” (Shueisha)

Collaboration

2014

“I Want to Sleep in a Place Without a Map” (with Hideyuki Takano, Kodansha)

Proper nouns, such as place names, book titles, and publisher names, are provisionally translated into English for convenience, based on the descriptions in the Japanese profile version, which is located on a separate page. The correct names are based on the Japanese page.

For inquiries about Yusuke Kakuhata’s photographic copyright agreement and for overseas publication rights of copyrighted works:

Contact

Email: ito@patokyo.com
Phone: +81 (0)90-4174-9424 (Attn. Ito)