[OGZ's Yamamachi Exploration Vol.21] Tokyo Ome Mitake Edition: 2ndhand outdoor gear store maunga! A close look at the Mitake main store: Endo-san's long day. [Store renewal information included]

So far we have been introducing shops that sell new products, but this time we will be introducing shops that sell second-hand, used outdoor equipment. With prices so high these days, it would be best if you could buy everything new, but sometimes your wallet just can't quite afford it.

In this situation, I think that enjoying outdoor life by visiting these kinds of shops is a very viable option, so I decided to do some research.

An unmanned store in front of Ishigamimae Station!?

Before heading to the Mitake main store, we took a detour to the maunga Ishigamimae store, located almost in front of Ishigamimae Station on the JR Ome Line. Amazingly, it's an unmanned store that's open 24 hours a day!

The store is packed with second-hand goods, including mountain gear as well as equipment needed for a little camping, so it seems to be popular with a wide range of people, who want to shop leisurely late at night without being disturbed by anyone, before or after the main store opens.

Payment is mainly via electronic money, but it's nice that you can also use cash as long as you get no change.

Of course, there is 24-hour surveillance and recording, and so far nothing particularly untoward has happened, so it's up to the conscience of everyone who continues to visit... so we ask for your cooperation.

2nd hand outdoor gear store Maunga Ishigamimae store (unmanned store/purchase box available)

・1-249-1 Futamatao, Ome City, Tokyo

・Business hours: 24 hours

Payment methods: Cash (only if there is no surplus or shortage), QR payment (PayPay, LINE Pay, merpay, d-payment)

・Business days/basically open every day

Access: 2 minutes walk from JR Ishigamimae Station

・Parking lot/Yes

To Mitake Station

Now we head to Ontake Station, where today's main shop is located. Although it is still early in the morning, the area is bustling with people walking and boarding buses on their way to mountain climbing.

I think most people heading to the mountain from Ontake Station will head towards Mt. Mitake. You can either walk the whole way from the bottom or take the cable car, so it's up to you to decide based on your stamina and time.

In and around the station, there are cafes, Chinese restaurants, soba restaurants, and smoothie shops, but my personal recommendation is this konjac shop, which offers a variety of flavors of sashimi konjac that is absolutely delicious.

What's more, Poloka Base, a running station located just across Mitake Bridge in front of the station, may soon be fully operational! It appears that they are carrying out various activities, such as maintaining the nearby hiking trails and cafes. It is currently still open on a trial basis, but we're curious to see how it progresses.

To maunga Mitake main store

Now, to the main topic: it's about a one-minute walk east from JR Ontake Station along the national highway in front of it! The main store is on the first floor of the building, but from the second floor onwards, you'll find A-YARD, the mountain lodge in front of Ontake Station. In addition to accommodation, they also offer river activities like rafting and packrafting!

HOSTEL Station Front Mountain Hut A-YARD

Official website : https://www.a-yard.net/

So, we arrived at the Maunga Mitake main store on the first floor before it opened. And...

We caught up with Maunga's CEO Endo-san, also known as Endo Hiroshi, arriving for work (lol). Yes, as the title suggests, this time we'll be following Endo-san closely over a day at Maunga! Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a second-hand outdoor shop is like? We hope to answer that question a little.

Opening preparations begin

The main store starts at 9am on weekdays, and we arrive at work at 8:30am to get ready.

First of all, we have to sort through the mountain of purchase appraisal requests that have come in from all over the country, which is quite a lot.

And speaking of Mt. Mitake, it's a place where you can play on the rocks outside along the river, and they also lend out rental mats and other equipment to people who come empty-handed, and they also clean up after them. Maunga is not just a shop selling used mountain equipment.

Once the store is tidy, we clean up here too. This is how Maunga begins, opening at 9am on weekdays. What surprised me was that a fair number of customers arrived almost immediately after opening. It's surprising how many people come first thing in the morning in Ome, as mornings are early.

So, I'll give you a sneak peek this time, but the Maunga Mitake main store is currently undergoing an expansion and renovation! The legendary Amano-ya store next door to the current store has been vacant since it retired, but they've knocked out a wall and are doubling the floor space, and will reopen on October 9th, 2025! I'm already looking forward to it!

A sneak peek at the store currently undergoing renovations, with expectations high: it's bigger, cleaner, and easier to navigate than before!

A little stroll around the store

So, this is the first and last time we will be introducing this layout. Also, because it is second-hand mountain gear, the products are more fluid than ever before, and there is an endless parade of one-of-a-kind items, so please be aware that many items may already be sold out. The area in front of the cash register is packed with small items, cookware, etc.

Below the register you can find dead stock gasoline and a local map, so if you forget what you're looking for, you can find it here.

The products seem to be roughly grouped by genre, and this wall is for climbing. It seems that the layout direction in this area has been carried over from the renovation.

In the backpack section, there are cute Haglofs backpacks,

There were also North Face packs that could be used for serious trail running.

The flyer corner next to the store entrance also has information about interesting events like these.

Endo-san is moving!

Once the customers have left, we will appraise items for purchase nationwide.

He then appraised a customer who had just come directly to the store to request a purchase. He said he tries to be as calm and objective as possible, but as he is also a fan of mountain equipment, he smiled when he saw a product that caught his eye.

As an example of what they check during the appraisal, they said that for backpacks like this, they first look at the deterioration of the fabric and coating, and damage to plastic parts. Furthermore, they said that popular brands are likely to be the ones that will increase the appraisal. UL/Garage brands are especially popular, so they tend to increase the appraisal.

Bring-in appraisals are free, and for mail-in purchases, simply apply via the purchase form or by phone, then pack the item in a cardboard box and send it to us cash on delivery! If you are unable to agree on the price, the item will be returned, but the customer will be responsible for the return shipping costs.

For details, please see the various purchase procedures : https://maunga-kaitori.jp/flow#flow_satei02

While Endo-san was appraising, I looked for a unique item that caught my eye. It turned out to be a Gore-Tex cap! It really is a waterproof and breathable layer.

Oh, I also found some new Ridge Mountain gear, and it's in great condition!

They also have carbon pegs like these, sold individually.

After that, there were quite a few customers around lunchtime, and perhaps due to the location, many of them were inbound tourists.

It seems that many of these inbound tourists come here to play on the rocks outside, so the rental climbing shoes and mats are very useful here. If they just want to play a little, they wouldn't bring their own. You can rent on the spot or make a reservation in advance. Direct rental reservations must be made by 7 PM the day before.

Maunga rental site https://www.maunga.jp/?tid=5&mode=f2

Now that lunch has passed and the customers have subsided, it's time to go out and do business. Maunga is generally a one-man operation, so if they have to go out, the shop will close for the time being. If you want to come in during that time, please contact us using the contact details on this laminate. They said they will be flexible and able to accommodate you, even if it takes a little time.

So, what exactly was the purpose?It was to apply for paperwork related to store expansion.

The Mitake main store also sells alcohol, so additional procedures are required for that. Thank you for your hard work.

Towards the end of Maunga's day.

When I got back, I was told that new products would be updated online every day (!) at 8pm, so I would do some desk work in preparation for that while running the store, and in between I asked him the usual questions.

-The beginning and future of maunga-

It's been 13 years since Maunga was established, and we're now in our 14th year. We started here in front of Mitake Station in 2012. Just one year before we launched Maunga, I was running an outdoor guided tour called Tree Cruising, and we started the tours in parallel with that. Going back another two years, I had the opportunity to come to Mitake as a rafting guide, and also to mountain climbing. That's when I realized that Tokyo has so much nature, is so easily accessible, and has everything "except the sea" right here!

Places like this are hard to find, and this place is fascinating, so I wanted to spread the word about Mitake. So I thought it would be nice to do some kind of work here in Mitake, and so I started working as a tour guide, and about six months later I thought, wouldn't it be fun to have a second-hand mountain equipment store here?! From there I started the shop, and at first I ran the shop alongside my guiding, but after about two or three years I quit my side job and decided to focus on the shop full-time.

As it gets dark in Mt. Mitake, the interior of the store also looks more compact.

When Maunga was launched, there were three staff members, but two of them left, and now, of the four stores, the Mitake main store and the Kichijoji store are run by a total of five staff members, but we can't keep up with the work (wry smile). The Okutama store, which is only for sales, is outsourced. And the Ishigamimae store that I introduced earlier is unmanned. The motivation for it being an unmanned store is simply to allow customers to see the products that we can't stock in our regular stores. However, with the current five staff members, it's difficult to allocate staff there... so when that happens, we thought we'd try running it unmanned.

So we thought, "Maybe we don't even need to set opening hours!" (laughs) So we decided to try 24 hours a day. We're grateful that customers have been coming to the store even in the evenings, buying new clothing when it's a little chilly early in the morning, or refilling forgotten items. We're also grateful that we haven't had any thefts so far.

-Maunga Super Sale?-

We have held a garage sale in the Maunga warehouse a few times in the past and it was a big hit. It's been a while since we last held one, but we'd like to hold one again when the timing is right. However, we haven't been able to keep up with organizing the warehouse (wry smile).

The inside of the Maunga store is a magical place in a good way, but the garage sale is even worse.

I would like to hold the event once I have a clear idea of ​​how to sort things out, as I've been asked about it quite a bit by customers who come to the store, and they're all very concerned about it.

-Are there any points to consider when making a purchase appraisal?-

For example, if you are sending it to us, we don't mind you packing it as is, but if it's clothing, we'll wash it, and if it's shoes, we'll definitely increase the appraisal if you remove any dirt or grime! We will wash clothes after we buy them, but we may not be able to tell if all the dirt will be completely removed at the time of appraisal, so if that's clear, the appraisal will be different, as we want to sell the items in as clean a condition as possible.

However, as I mentioned earlier, this is a way to try to increase the appraisal value even a little, so if you are busy and don't have the time, there is no problem if you just send it in as is. Also, if there is fatal damage to the product, it is easier if you honestly declare it. From there, we don't have any "basically no buybacks" and if it is an outdoor product, it's okay even if other stores won't buy it.

For example, even if a backpack is worn out, we may purchase it piece by piece for "removal of parts," and in the case of shoes, even if the sole has hydrolyzed, we may be able to suggest resoling it if the "good quality" is still in use.

-Do you also offer repairs and rental services?-

We also repair and sell products that we buy, something that other stores may not do, and we also offer repair services. We repair rips in the fabric, repair zippers, shorten the hems of pants, etc. For repairs, it is easier to bring the item to the store, as we can also discuss the detailed specifications.

We mainly focus on services for sewing fabric items, but we also accept requests for things like replacing shock cords on tent poles, so please feel free to contact us.

At the time of the interview, we were receiving requests for tent repairs.

Also, this is a matter of perspective, but I think it's fine to think of our store as a rental service. I think it's fine to try out any products that catch your eye from those in Maunga, and if you like them, you can keep using them, or if you don't like them, you can sell them to Maunga right away. I think the difference in price is essentially the same as renting. I'm often asked if we offer a "product rental service," but it's no exaggeration to say that this process is rental itself.

Also, with regular rentals, you have a set number of days to borrow and a return date, right? I think the concept of "pseudo-rental" is good because you don't have to worry about that. If you ruin a rental item, you might have to pay compensation, but in our case, it only ends up with a negative appraisal (lol).

-Are Maunga the mountain's messengers?-

To sum up, Maunga's services include buying, selling and repairing outdoor products, as well as selling and renting alcohol. However, we also occasionally respond to requests to accompany people into the mountains. This is often because it is too difficult to go alone. We are not currently working as tour guides, but we are happy to accommodate any outdoor-related requests, so please feel free to contact us!

There were also several aluminum/titanium cookers in good condition.

And before we knew it, it was closing time, and Long Endo's day came to an end...

Or so I thought.

There was a report of a fallen tree in the outdoor bouldering area, so Maunga Endo had to patrol at night. His duties are very diverse and he is very busy.

After the patrol was completed, it was finally time to close the store. After closing the store, I said "Thank you for your hard work" and headed home, but it seems Endo's work wasn't finished yet, and he continued his desk work until late at night.

What did you think of Maunga Mitake Main Store and a day in the life of Endo-san? I feel like I got a glimpse of Endo-san, who is not just buying and selling second-hand goods, but also running around as a mountain errand boy. And I think the reopening with an expanded store will raise Maunga to the next level.

That's how I feel.

※Closed: September 22nd to October 8th, 2025 (reopens October 9th)

2nd hand outdoor gear store maunga Mitake main store

・359 Mitakehonmachi, Ome City, Tokyo

・Business hours: 9:00-19:00 (weekdays) / 8:00-19:00 (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)

・Open every day (may be closed temporarily)

・Tel / Email 0428-74-9235 / info@maunga.jp

Access: 1 minute walk from JR Mitake Station

・No parking available (paid parking available nearby)

Official website : https://www.maunga.jp/

Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/maunga_outdoor

Official blog https://www.maunga.jp/apps/note/?cat=5

Yans

A person who has grown into a gear lover and finally ended up writing on Gear Gin. He has been a tough gear enthusiast and loves modifying and making his own gear, and also loves outdoor events. We would like to place emphasis on brand exploration and shop reviews.

Personal blog here

   

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