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In 2025, after completing a roughly five-month PCT thru-hike, we spoke with Araikaito — a.k.a. MJ / SAIKO
Born and raised in Fukui in Japan’s Hokuriku region, he proudly calls himself a “true Fukui kid.” Why did he decide to walk the PCT, and why did he choose OHMI Equipment?
We asked MJ about his thoughts on America and the gear he carried.
Staff member at THE GATE MOUNTAIN, an outdoor shop in Fukui — Araikaito
His trail name in Japan is “MJ (Mountain Junkie)”
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“I can’t relax unless I’m in the mountains” — Who is MJ, the Mountain Junkie from Fukui?
— What first made you want to walk the PCT?
MJ: The biggest reason, right from the start, was my longing for “travel.”
I’ve always been really drawn to backpacker-style journeys.
Actually, about four or five years ago, I seriously prepared for a trip to America.
The plan was to travel by car. I even quit my job — I was completely serious.
But then COVID happened, and everything disappeared.
The frustration — that feeling of “I really wanted to go” — stayed with me for a long time.
Even so, that desire never went away.
“I want to go to America.”
“I want to see vast, overwhelming nature.”
I was sure I’d find mountains and landscapes that simply don’t exist in Japan.
— So how did that become a “journey on foot”?
MJ: At first I planned a road trip, but as I got deeper into hiking, my mindset gradually changed.
Through work, I met people who’d walked long trails — like JK, who gave me the name “MJ,” and Masaru from peg — and they influenced me a lot.
That’s when I started thinking that “traveling on foot” is actually incredible.
I only learned about long trails about three years ago.
And once I did, I thought:
“If I’m going to America, it has to be a long trail.”
That was the turning point.
— Out of all the long trails, why choose the PCT for your first one?
MJ: To be honest, in Japan, no matter how far you go, there’s always a part of you that feels, “This is still Japan.”
Not good or bad — just familiar. I wanted to put myself somewhere completely unknown.
And then there’s the trail culture.
I heard the PCT has a long history and a deeply rooted culture.
Trail names, the distance between hikers, the atmosphere of the community —
I really wanted to experience it firsthand.
— I heard you even received another trail name on the PCT?
MJ: Yeah, on the trail they called me “Saiko.”
— Saiko?
MJ: It’s a double meaning.
One is the Japanese word 最高 (awesome). I said it constantly — it was basically my catchphrase.
The other is half a joke: “psycho.”
I’m definitely not crazy, but one time I jumped into a lake because it felt so good and shouted “Saiko!!” in Japanese.
Everyone was like, “What the heck are you yelling?”
Once I explained, they just said, “Okay, then your name is Saiko.” And it stuck.
— Very Mountain Junkie-like (laughs). By the way, since it was your first time abroad, weren’t you nervous?
MJ: Of course I wasn’t completely anxiety-free.
But the excitement totally outweighed the worry.
The idea that something unknown was waiting every single day felt thrilling.
And maybe this isn’t the best way to say it, but:
I kind of accepted that, since it wasn’t Japan, there might be danger sometimes.
But I also thought, “Unless something truly crazy happens, no one’s going to eat me alive.” (laughs)
If someone wanted to attack you on the trail, they’d have to walk all the way out there first (laughs).
Sure, you drop into towns sometimes,
but most places are rural — like the countryside in Japan.
So I figured, “It’ll probably be fine.”
— What about the language barrier?
MJ: I figured I’d somehow manage even if I wasn’t perfect.
I just strongly believed, “If I go, I’ll figure it out.”
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130 Days on the PCT — A Late Start and Choosing to Flip-Flop
— Let’s talk about the trail itself. How many days did your hike take in total?
MJ: I started on May 26 and finished on November 8. So in total, about 130 days.
— That’s a pretty late start compared to most hikers, right?
MJ: Yeah, it was quite late.
For the PCT you apply for a permit, and departure dates fill up from the earlier ones.
I just got unlucky with my assigned application time, so only late slots were left.
— You also joined PCT Days, right?
Was that planned from the beginning?
MJ: No, that was totally unplanned.
I decided after I’d already started hiking.
At the time I was still in Southern to Central California,
but PCT Days is way up north, around the Oregon–Washington border.
If I kept going north normally, Washington starts getting snow around mid-October,
so I thought, “At this pace, I won’t be able to finish the north.”
So I temporarily skipped part of the south, went north first,
and then returned to finish the skipped sections afterward.
— That’s what they call “flip-flopping,” right?
MJ: Exactly.
I didn’t skip permanently — I ended up walking the entire trail.
— On Instagram it looked like you just teleported (laughs).
MJ: Yeah, I’m sure it was confusing (laughs).
PCT Days — A Festival for Hikers
MJ: PCT Days is a huge event where lots of Japanese hikers gather too,
so I really wanted to go if I had the chance.
Brands like Yamatomichi and Atelier Bluebottle were exhibiting,
and I thought it’d be great to connect with everyone.
— Actually, we’re currently applying to exhibit at next year’s PCT Days.
MJ
Really? That’s amazing!
— It’s not easy for newer brands. They ask things like, “How long have you been in business?” “Are you seriously planning to sell in North America?” — they’re pretty strict.
Orders from overseas are increasing, so we’ll see what happens. If it works out, it’ll be really exciting.
That’s it for Part 1.
In Part 2, we’ll talk about the OHMI Equipment MJ used on the PCT.
