Nanamica’s style carries the free, relaxed mood of the sea. That atmosphere also overlaps with a lifestyle shaped by living in close connection with nature. We visited the everyday life of Seitaro Nakano, who loads his gear into his van and moves between the sea and the mountains.
“In search of something still unknown, continuing to face nature 365 days a year.”
Moving between the sea and the mountains, Nakano is based in Ichinomiya, Chiba, as a surfer, while spending his days driving wherever conditions lead him. His van is loaded with surfboards, snowboards, clothes, and sometimes even bedding. He drives roughly 40,000 kilometers a year. “I check the ocean conditions, and in winter I look at snowfall in the mountains. Once I decide, ‘Today it’s here,’ I head out. Sometimes I’m driving along the coast with more than ten surfboards packed into the van, and other times I’m heading to mountains over 2,000 meters high with a snowboard. That’s why I always keep all kinds of clothing in the van, ready for whatever weather or terrain comes up.” Beyond surfing and snowboarding, his interests extend to fishing and motorbikes as well. Day after day, he continues to play within nature in different ways.
Even after spending every day seriously facing nature, Nakano says the sea is still “something frightening” to him. “No matter how big or small the waves are, there’s always risk. That’s just what nature is. But because of that, I think there’s always something there that I’m searching for. To be honest though, I still don’t really know what that is yet.” He first surfed with his father when he was around three or four years old. “In my teens, I approached surfing in a much more intense way. Now I face the ocean with a more open mindset, but I still want to get better, and I still want to explore different seas. That feeling hasn’t changed since I was little.”
Among all the seas he has crossed, the ones that left the strongest impression on Nakano were in Hokkaido and Australia.
“When you look back toward the shore from the ocean, there’s almost nothing man-made in sight. As far as you can see, it’s just blue, green, brown… There are no landmarks, so there’s this fear that if you lose your bearings, you might not make it back. But at the same time, I was deeply moved that such vast nature still exists in Japan. In Australia, I once had three whales appear right in front of me. When you’re in the water, their voices reverberate through the entire ocean. At first I thought an island was emerging, but it was a whale. It felt like something out of a movie. For the first time in my life, I experienced beauty and fear at the exact same moment. Maybe that’s the kind of moment I’m always searching for.”
Nakano is also active as a rider for a surf shop team based in his hometown of Hachioji. “I do a variety of things — producing apparel and products, running a board rental service, going out into the ocean with people and teaching them. What I try to focus on isn’t just teaching technique or recommending high-performance gear. I pay attention to each person’s habits and try to bring out a sense of unity between their body, their equipment, and nature. Once I started choosing my gear more freely myself, I discovered how interesting it is when the feeling of the ride connects with your own senses. I’ve come to really enjoy that sense of unity. That’s why I want to share that feeling with others.”
Nakano is wearing an open-collar shirt with a soft botanical print, paired with deck shorts made from water-repellent recycled nylon twill. “Most of the time I wear simple, solid-colored clothes. Honestly, I’m not interested in trends, but what I absolutely care about is material and functionality. Since I’m always out in nature, I think I naturally have this mindset of ‘just in case.’ I might suddenly have to go through rough mountain terrain, or the weather could change without warning. So I always keep shoes that can handle difficult ground and clothing that can deal with rain and wind in the van. That said, I’m not trying to look overtly outdoorsy either.”
Nakano is wearing an open-collar shirt with a soft botanical print, paired with deck shorts made from water-repellent recycled nylon twill. “Most of the time I wear simple, solid-colored clothes. Honestly, I’m not interested in trends, but what I absolutely care about is material and functionality. Since I’m always out in nature, I think I naturally have this mindset of ‘just in case.’ I might suddenly have to go through rough mountain terrain, or the weather could change without warning. So I always keep shoes that can handle difficult ground and clothing that can deal with rain and wind in the van. That said, I’m not trying to look overtly outdoorsy either.”
Seitaro Nakano
At enthu in Ichinomiya, Chiba, where he serves as organizer, Nakano is involved in surf advising, guiding, and board rentals. Drawing on his experience riding a wide variety of surfboards both in Japan and abroad, he also collaborates with board builders on the development of new boards. In addition, he is active as a team rider for RIDE SURF + SPORT, a surf shop in his hometown of Hachioji, Tokyo, that has been operating for over 30 years. During winter, he also pursues snowboarding, continuing to explore the shared movements and sensations between the two disciplines.
NANALOHA S/S Shirt [S26SG065U] $420.00 USD
Nylon Twill Deck Shorts [S26SD033U] $230.00 USD
>>Off Shore / On Shift vol.5 “A Daily Revolution” connecting the sea, soil, and food
