Millet (Millet Mountain Group Japan: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Per Rasmussen), a leading French alpine brand founded in 1921, is pleased to announce that it has signed an official partnership agreement with international mountain guide Yuji Emoto, effective February 2026.
Mr. Emoto has been active in mountain fields around the world for over 20 years as an IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations) certified international mountain guide. In winter, he is based in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, where he works as a backcountry guide and ski/mountain guide. In summer, he is based in Chamonix, France, where he engages in a variety of mountain activities including climbing, paragliding, and hike & fly.
◼︎ Hakuba, Japan, and Chamonix, France: Two Intersecting Roots
These two bases are essential base camps where MILLET, an alpine brand, has continuously refined both its products and philosophy through challenges and innovations. Chamonix, in the heart of the European Alps, is where MILLET built its foundation as an alpine brand. Hakuba, at the core of the Japanese Alps, is an important field where MILLET has long worked closely with guides and climbers as a hub for mountain activities in Japan.
Meanwhile, Mr. Emoto is also an international mountain guide who has been active in mountain fields in both Japan and France.
In winter, he primarily guides backcountry skiing and ski touring in Hakuba. In Chamonix, France, where he spends the green season, he engages in advanced mountain styles such as alpine climbing, paragliding, and hike & fly.
Hike & fly, in particular, which Mr. Emoto practices, is one of the "most advanced mountain styles" expanding primarily in Europe, and can be seen as a symbol of new mountain culture.
Furthermore, he does not limit these challenges to his own activities but continues to provide "dream-fulfilling experiences" through guiding for general mountaineers. In these two fields that MILLET and Mr. Emoto have cherished as their respective roots,
values such as "human-powered challenges," "reliability cultivated in the field," and "the true essence of gear demonstrated in extreme environments" naturally overlapped.
Against the backdrop of this mutual understanding and empathy for these goals and values, MILLET and Mr. Emoto agreed to collaborate as equal partners, leading to this agreement. Together with Yuji Emoto, MILLET will expand its field of challenges to Hakuba, Chamonix, and mountains around the world, further enhancing its value as an alpine brand.
■ Comment from Mr. Yuji Emoto
When challenging your limits in unpredictable fields like mountaineering, backcountry skiing, or paragliding, there can be no compromise on gear. The Millet brand embodies alpine culture. As a Japanese individual engaging with mountains, and leveraging the values and experiences I've gained in France, I aim to connect and promote these two countries and cultures through outdoor activities.
Last year, I challenged K2, an unknown altitude for me, with Millet gear. I am honored to partner officially with a brand I have used in extreme conditions and have come to trust.
I will continue to wear authentic gear and pursue challenges that connect Japan and France.
■ Yuji Emoto Profile
International Mountain Guide / Adventure Athlete
Born December 24, 1976, in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. Resides in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, and Annecy, France.
He developed a passion for alpine skiing from a young age and moved to France at 16 to study skiing with the goal of competing in the Olympics.
After a homestay in the village of Thônes, France, and attending a high school for athletes, an injury in his third season led him to leave the path of a competitive athlete and pursue a career as a mountain professional.
He subsequently obtained his French national mountain guide qualification. He continues to pursue experiences of "playing with the earth" through all kinds of outdoor sports, including skiing, climbing, paragliding, and trail running.
・French National Certified Mountain Guide (International Mountain Guide/UIAGM)
・French National Certified Ski Instructor
・French National Certified Paragliding Instructor
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/emoto_yuji/
