I first met Fred Royle about two years ago. He had sent me a few emails before then, but I was so busy that I had more or less ignored them (laughs).

With his long white beard, Fred looks a little like Santa Claus and is an incredibly friendly guy. He is also the man behind Outsiders Store, a UK retailer specializing in outdoor apparel and gear.

Outsiders isn’t your typical outdoor shop. It has a playful yet sharp perspective, with a unique lineup of hard-to-find brands and products. Fred told us he would love to carry Yamatomichi, and while it took a full two years to make it happen, our products finally went on sale in the UK in April 2026.

To coincide with the launch, seven of us traveled to the UK: five Yamatomichi staff from Japan, including founder Akira Natsume, together with Hector from samplus, our store in Taiwan, and Donald from morimori, our partner store in Hong Kong.

For us, it has never been only about selling products. Sharing what we find so compelling about ultralight hiking is just as important. That is why we decided to travel as a larger team—to host talks and workshops, build a closer relationship with the Outsiders team, and learn more about hiking culture in the UK.

Hector and Donald both speak English, and having them join the tour also gave us an opportunity to strengthen the connections we have built across Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Outsiders Store opened its first location in Liverpool in 2017, followed by its King’s Cross store in London in 2018. Its third location opened this year in Manchester, which is also home to the company’s headquarters. Yamatomichi products are now available at all three stores and through the Outsiders online store.

At the London and Manchester stores, Akira gave a talk, Moss led an ultralight packing workshop, and Yamatomichi staff member Kimura and Donald shared their experiences of hiking in the UK via a presentation. We did not hold an event in Liverpool this time, but we took a day trip there to meet the store team.

As expected, London drew the biggest crowd, and the gathering with local hikers after the event was especially lively—helped, no doubt, by some excellent local craft beer. Everyone listened closely during Moss’s packing workshop the following day, though we came away with the impression that ultralight hiking has yet to really take hold in the UK.

Manchester felt more like an Outsiders homecoming, with many of the team’s friends and regular customers joining us. Despite the UK’s reputation for rain, we were treated to the kind of brilliant weather that seems to come only once a year, and the city’s pubs were overflowing with people.

At every Outsiders store, the team felt genuinely close-knit, with a strong community of regular customers around them. Everyone was deeply curious about Yamatomichi, and many staff members even bought products for themselves. We also met one fan who had a tattoo of an illustration taken from the Yamatomichi website!

On our final Sunday in the UK, we took a 40-minute train ride from Manchester to the village of Edale for a day hike with around 30 Outsiders staff and customers. The countryside from the train was beautiful, but by the time we reached the trailhead, the weather was looking decidedly uncertain—as you might expect in the UK. I immediately regretted wearing shorts and leaving my rainwear back at the hotel.

Once we started walking, however, the clouds gradually thinned and the sun broke through. This was only my second time hiking in the UK, and the landscape around Edale was truly beautiful. We followed a stream uphill into a vast, open landscape that felt remarkably wild despite the modest elevation, with sheep wandering back and forth around us. Along the way, we talked about hiking techniques and tents, demonstrated how to pitch a shelter, and compared several different cooking systems over lunch.

While waiting for the train home, we naturally ended up in a local pub. Sitting with beers on the vivid green grass that feels so distinctly British, we listened to a local band and taught our new hiking friends Daifugō, a Japanese card game. It was a brilliant end to the day.

Having lived in London for around three years as a university student, I have a strong personal connection to the UK. Akira also lived there for a short time, and his experiences in the British outdoors were part of what inspired him to start Yamatomichi.

To me, there is something about the independent path taken by the UK—a country that chose to leave the EU—that resonates with the spirit of Outsiders Store. The shop expresses that outlook through outdoor gear, offering a different perspective on both the outdoors and the way we live.

Fred reached out to us because he believed Japan’s ultralight hiking culture could offer something entirely new in the UK. This project began with his desire to help that culture take root there, and it now feels like a meaningful new relationship between Yamatomichi and the UK is just beginning.