[National Tree Climbing Champion] Kosuke Kawauchi from Okayama Prefecture Wins Overall Championship at "Japan Tree Climbing Championship 2026 Mie"

Kosuke Kawauchi (Kousuke Kawauchi), representative of Kawauchi Forestry Co., Ltd. and an arborist based in Okayama Prefecture who handles pruning and special felling of large trees, won the national tree climbing competition "JTCC (Japan Tree Climbing Championship) 2026 Mie" (hereinafter referred to as the National Competition), held from May 29-31, 2026, in Wataraicho, Mie Prefecture.

As the national champion, Kawauchi will represent Japan at the "ISA 2026 50th ITCC (International Tree Climbing Championship)" (hereinafter referred to as the World Competition), to be held from October 9, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Center: Kosuke Kawauchi holding the championship trophy.

◆ Competition Overview

The finals, contested by 5 participants who advanced from the preliminaries, were held on a large Maki tree approximately 25 meters high. Competitors had 35 minutes to set their own ropes, ring 4 bells placed in different directions, and return to the ground. Tree climbing is a competition where victory is determined not only by speed but also by "technique" and "strategy (planning ability)" in setting the route and the order of ringing the bells, as well as work safety.

In this competition, two participants completed the mission of "ringing all four bells and perfectly retrieving all used ropes before descending." Among them, Kosuke Kawauchi's high level of safety and efficient route planning were highly evaluated, leading to his victory.

Working on the tree.

◆ About Arborists

Arborists are "tree specialists" who have a thorough understanding of tree characteristics and use rope techniques to perform high-altitude maintenance and diagnosis. The success of young arborists like Kawauchi symbolizes technological innovation and increased awareness of tree protection in Japan's forestry and tree management industries.

Working on the tree.

◆ Kosuke Kawauchi's Determination for the World Competition

Participating in the next World Competition will be my second experience. The world might think "it's impossible for a Japanese person to win," but I am determined to win the world championship.

Four years ago, when I first entered the Japan competition, my results were terrible. I realized then that my goal setting was too small, so I set a high goal of "winning the World Competition" and practiced climbing trees every day. I came in second place in the previous national competition, and this time I achieved my long-held dream of becoming the national champion. However, I still consider myself a challenger, both on a national and global scale. I tell myself, "If I aim for victory as the ultimate goal, I won't even come close. The World Competition is just a stepping stone."

I will continue to improve my skills so that I can perform at my best in the World Competition this October.

After the competition.

◆ Career

Kosuke Kawauchi

Born in Okayama Prefecture in 1994. He grew up surrounded by nature in Okayama Prefecture from a young age and began to feel a desire to protect trees. His dream in junior high school was to become a shrine carpenter. He worked for a forestry cooperative in Okayama Prefecture for three years starting in 2016 and became independent in 2019. In 2021, he incorporated his business as "Kawauchi Forestry Co., Ltd." He participated in the JAC Arborist Challenge 2022 and JAC Arborist Challenge 2024 with a team primarily composed of members from his company, achieving two consecutive victories. In 2025, he participated as an individual in the "ISA 2025 49th ITCC (International Tree Climbing Championship)" in Georgia, USA. He has participated in the National Competition four times, winning the "JTCC (Japan Tree Climbing Championship) 2026 Mie" in May 2026.