'COCOHELI' Mountain Rescue Service to be Introduced at the 31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition in Gifu
AUTHENTIC JAPAN's search service 'COCOHELI' will be adopted for safety measures at the orienteering competition in Gifu this May, lending transmitters to 140 participants for rapid rescue response.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 22:29 (34h 57m after Collected)
AUTHENTIC JAPAN Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City; President: Kazumasa Kuga), operator of the mountain and maritime search service 'COCOHELI' that pinpoints missing persons, announces that COCOHELI will be introduced as a safety measure for the '31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition' to be held on May 3, 2026 (Sun/Holiday) at Nenenogami Highlands in Nakatsugawa and Ena cities, Gifu Prefecture. Approximately 140 participants are expected for the event.
This competition is an orienteering event held at the Nenenogami Lakeside Lawn Square, located at an altitude of approximately 900 meters across Nakatsugawa and Ena cities. The competition will be a middle-distance point orienteering event, with classes ranging from advanced to beginner.
Orienteering is a sport where participants use maps and compasses to visit checkpoints set in nature. While it can be enjoyed by all generations, it takes place in natural terrains such as forests and highlands, making safety measures highly important. By expanding the use of COCOHELI as a preparation for such outdoor activities, the company aims to contribute to an environment where participants can join competitions with peace of mind.
Background of COCOHELI Introduction
In recent years, while interest in activities enjoyed in nature, such as mountain climbing, trail running, and orienteering, has increased, how to implement outdoor safety measures has become an important theme for both organizers and participants. In orienteering competitions as well, serious accidents have occurred recently, highlighting the importance of safety management systems.
The company has been implementing safety measures in outdoor fields in addition to collaborating with public institutions such as the police and fire departments. In an orienteering competition held in March 2026, all athletes carried COCOHELI devices, and participants praised the safety measures.
Following this trend, COCOHELI will be introduced as part of the safety measures for the '31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition.' The company will contribute to creating an environment where competitors can more securely participate in sports in nature and work to popularize safety measures for outdoor activities, including orienteering.
Comment from the Event Organizer
Hyuga Shibata, Executive Committee Chairman:
'Orienteering is a wonderful sport where you confront nature, but managing the risks that come with it is a top priority for organizers. As safety management during competitions is being questioned again recently, we decided to introduce 'COCOHELI' for this event with the cooperation of AUTHENTIC JAPAN. Referring to the success of other events in March, we want to provide an environment where athletes can focus more on the competition and fully enjoy the nature of Nenenogami Highlands by preparing a search system in case of emergency. Through this opportunity, I hope the importance of safety measures in orienteering will permeate more widely.'
Outline of the 31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition
Event Name: 31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition
Date: May 3, 2026 (Sun/Holiday)
Venue: Nenenogami Lakeside Lawn Square, Nenenogami Highlands, Nakatsugawa/Ena, Gifu
Organizer: Nenenogami Highlands Tourism Promotion Association
Manager: Orienteering Club Looper
Cooperation: AUTHENTIC JAPAN Co., Ltd.
Format: Point Orienteering Middle Distance
Expected Participants: Approx. 140
Event Web: https://x.gd/QSP2G
What is COCOHELI?
It is a membership-based 'private helicopter search service' that is the only one in Japan capable of searching for missing mountain climbers by helicopter. While 'mountain insurance' pays for rescue activity costs by private organizations such as mountain huts or private search costs after public institutions cease operations, 'COCOHELI' as a search service can increase the survival rate of victims.
By utilizing transmitter signals, helicopters, and drones, 'COCOHELI' drastically shortens search time compared to traditional 'visual search' and pinpoints the location of victims to a distance of 0 meters. Its feature is to prevent the search time from being prolonged.
Each COCOHELI member is lent a dedicated transmitter, and members must wear it while climbing. In the event of an accident, preparations are made to fly a helicopter toward the mountain area specified in the climbing plan. By equipping helicopters and drones with receivers and 'communicating directly' with the transmitter worn by the member, rapid search is possible even in mountainous areas where smartphones are out of range. Its high performance in 'protecting lives' is strongly supported by mountaineers, and the number of members has reached over 170,000.
This competition is an orienteering event held at the Nenenogami Lakeside Lawn Square, located at an altitude of approximately 900 meters across Nakatsugawa and Ena cities. The competition will be a middle-distance point orienteering event, with classes ranging from advanced to beginner.
Orienteering is a sport where participants use maps and compasses to visit checkpoints set in nature. While it can be enjoyed by all generations, it takes place in natural terrains such as forests and highlands, making safety measures highly important. By expanding the use of COCOHELI as a preparation for such outdoor activities, the company aims to contribute to an environment where participants can join competitions with peace of mind.
Background of COCOHELI Introduction
In recent years, while interest in activities enjoyed in nature, such as mountain climbing, trail running, and orienteering, has increased, how to implement outdoor safety measures has become an important theme for both organizers and participants. In orienteering competitions as well, serious accidents have occurred recently, highlighting the importance of safety management systems.
The company has been implementing safety measures in outdoor fields in addition to collaborating with public institutions such as the police and fire departments. In an orienteering competition held in March 2026, all athletes carried COCOHELI devices, and participants praised the safety measures.
Following this trend, COCOHELI will be introduced as part of the safety measures for the '31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition.' The company will contribute to creating an environment where competitors can more securely participate in sports in nature and work to popularize safety measures for outdoor activities, including orienteering.
Comment from the Event Organizer
Hyuga Shibata, Executive Committee Chairman:
'Orienteering is a wonderful sport where you confront nature, but managing the risks that come with it is a top priority for organizers. As safety management during competitions is being questioned again recently, we decided to introduce 'COCOHELI' for this event with the cooperation of AUTHENTIC JAPAN. Referring to the success of other events in March, we want to provide an environment where athletes can focus more on the competition and fully enjoy the nature of Nenenogami Highlands by preparing a search system in case of emergency. Through this opportunity, I hope the importance of safety measures in orienteering will permeate more widely.'
Outline of the 31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition
Event Name: 31st Nenenogami Highlands Azalea Festival Orienteering Competition
Date: May 3, 2026 (Sun/Holiday)
Venue: Nenenogami Lakeside Lawn Square, Nenenogami Highlands, Nakatsugawa/Ena, Gifu
Organizer: Nenenogami Highlands Tourism Promotion Association
Manager: Orienteering Club Looper
Cooperation: AUTHENTIC JAPAN Co., Ltd.
Format: Point Orienteering Middle Distance
Expected Participants: Approx. 140
Event Web: https://x.gd/QSP2G
What is COCOHELI?
It is a membership-based 'private helicopter search service' that is the only one in Japan capable of searching for missing mountain climbers by helicopter. While 'mountain insurance' pays for rescue activity costs by private organizations such as mountain huts or private search costs after public institutions cease operations, 'COCOHELI' as a search service can increase the survival rate of victims.
By utilizing transmitter signals, helicopters, and drones, 'COCOHELI' drastically shortens search time compared to traditional 'visual search' and pinpoints the location of victims to a distance of 0 meters. Its feature is to prevent the search time from being prolonged.
Each COCOHELI member is lent a dedicated transmitter, and members must wear it while climbing. In the event of an accident, preparations are made to fly a helicopter toward the mountain area specified in the climbing plan. By equipping helicopters and drones with receivers and 'communicating directly' with the transmitter worn by the member, rapid search is possible even in mountainous areas where smartphones are out of range. Its high performance in 'protecting lives' is strongly supported by mountaineers, and the number of members has reached over 170,000.