Patagonia's Retro X has been redesigned. A new attraction that connects the past with the future.
Vol.01 Kazuhiko Kai (Director, BAMBOO SHOOTS)

Kai: I am friends with Hiroki Ishikawa, a professional trail runner whom Patagonia also supports. Two years ago, a friend invited me to participate in the "Takeda no Mori Trail Running Race" he was producing. It had been more than a decade since I had participated in a trail running race, so I asked my friend to coach my training. That led to a weekly group run at the store, which is more of a training session than a group run because we do several laps around a strenuous hill about a kilometer long. I never thought it would last for two years (laughs).

Kai: I feel that many of the people I meet on my runs are interesting people, and as with mountain climbing, I feel that our relationships become deeper when we exercise together.

Kai: I have yet to run a long distance, but when I am running, all I can think about is running, so I consider it a very luxurious use of my time. I wish I had started running earlier. There are so many fun outdoor activities. There are some that I haven't done yet, so I want to run and build my body. Trails are simply nice to run in the mountains. But there are some things I'm concerned about.

Kai: Can I run on this trail? I was like, '' In '92 or '93, when I was 20 years old, I loved the Patagonia catalog, and there was always a message about the environment in it. I had read that, so I was thinking about whether or not I could damage the mountains by running.

Kai: I grew up watching American movies from the 1980s, so I had an image of the outdoors as wild and outdoor brands as heavy-duty. My impression of outdoor brands changed when I saw the Patagonia catalog.

Kai: I used to go to a clothing store, and all the cool people there wore Patagonia's "Retro Pile Cardigans.

Kai: I wanted one, too, but the store did not sell it, so I went to the Patagonia store in Mejiro to buy one. They didn't sell the "Retro Pile Cardigan," but they did sell the "Retro Cardigan," for 27,000 yen. I still remember the price because I bought it with a part-time job that paid on a daily basis (laughs).

Kai: That's right. When it comes to fleece, Patagonia is the name of the game. At that time, fleece and other functional materials were changing outdoor wear. It was interesting to learn about various new materials and styles, and I also got hooked on the outdoors.

Kai: We have been selling our products since 2009. We want to sell the products we carry in our stores with confidence, don't we? I share Patagonia's stance on the environment, so I wanted to sell a brand that I could recommend to customers with confidence.