Interview with Kensuke

18th. Nov. 

Zoom

> Please introduce yourself.

I’m Kensuke Suzuki, 28years old. I’m from Tokyo, Japan, and working at an advertising company called Dentsu.

> Please tell me about your mountaineering.

I have climbed Mt. Fuji only once as training for new employees of the company.
It is a traditional event where there are nearly 300 Rookies and all of them climb Mt. Fuji.
And it is a competition to decide the ranking of the person who can reach the summit earliest.
When I reached the summit, a senior employee was waiting and he gave me a paper with my ranking written on it.
This is a famous event that all clients and bosses know, and everyone is looking forward to it, except for the climbers themselves.
In my case, I wrote hundreds of postcards to the business partners before the climbing and posted them to the post on the summit so that they could be delivered at a later date. I wrote "I have climbed Mt. Fuji!", and they saw it and praised me for doing my best.

Also, the day before the summit, a party was held to send me out, and many people supported me.

 

> You mean, does that event help you build relationships with your business partners?

YES. 

Of course, I think the main purpose is to increase the inner motivation of employees.

 

> Please tell me your difficulties during mountaineering.

There was nothing special. But this was a competition so I just kept running on the mountain, so I had no conversation with others or break time. To be strong, such a lonely situation was difficult.

> Do you have a specific memory you'd like to talk about?

I kept running without drinking water, so I couldn’t notice that I was dehydrated. When I tried to open the backpack to get water out, my arm muscles cramped.

> What was your goal or purpose?

My goal was to reach the summit in 7th place. That's because my business partner (TV station) has 7 channels, so 7 is an important number for us.

> What do you like the most about mountaineering?

The curry and udon I ate at the summit were really delicious. I felt it was 100 times more delicious than normal.

 

> What do you like the least about mountaineering?

I slept overnight in a mountain lodge on the summit before went down the mountain. The environment of the hut was terrible. The room was very smelly because everyone slept in the same space.

> Why is climbing important to you/your company?

My experience was for work, not for hobbies. I think it was a battle with myself. 

I thought that if I gave up on the way, I would regret it for the rest of my life. In that sense, mountaineering and work are similar. This is because the spirit of not giving up is important. Also, it's similar to a marathon.

> What do you feel when you're at the summit?

I've achieved my goal! It felt good and I was happy.

> Do you suffer from altitude sickness?

I didn't get altitude sickness, but many suffered from it. Some people had a headache and vomited.

 

> How do you prepare for a climb? Do you do any specific exercise in preparation?

For a month before climbing, I went up the stairs to the 13th floor of the building where the office is located every morning.

> Could you give some advice for our experiment? What is the easiest way to emulate your feelings emotionally and sensationally?

My climbing was almost like running a marathon, so why not try it?

> What are the sounds like? How do they affect you?

I didn't play music and ran crazy without listening to the sounds around me, so I don't remember the sounds. It was sensuously silent.

> What are the moments where it feels worth it?

As I was training and preparing, I felt good at the moment when my efforts were visibly rewarded, when I climbed to the summit. 

I put the paper with the ranking in my notebook and kept carrying it for a while. 

I think it gives me confidence. No matter how hard my work maybe, I can do it because I have overcome this mountaineering. 

Climbing can face me and I can clear my mind. I think it is precious time.