About

Hello.
My name is Seth McAllister

I was born in 1981 in Oregon and grew up along the Columbia River in the small town of Hood River. I spent many days riding powder on Mt. Hood, windsurfing on the Columbia River, and mountain biking at Post Canyon before being led to Japan. 

I moved to Norikura Kogen in 2005 and worked as an outdoor instructor for about 8 years. In 2016 I started McAllister Idea Lab to “create space for dignified interaction and exchange among diverse groups of people” as we provide organizational development and creative services to the Alps Sangakukyo community. 

Now my wife and our five children enjoy stewarding the resources we have been entrusted with by our creator God in Norikura Kogen. 

1981年アメリカ・オレゴン州フッドリバー生まれ。マウント・フッドでのヨコノリパウダー、コロンビア川でのウィンドサーフィン、ポストキャニオンでのマウンテンバイクなど、大自然の中で存分に遊んで育つ。2003年に初来日、2005年に乗鞍高原（長野県松本市）に移住。アウトドアインストラクターを8年間勤めた後、2016年にマカリスター考務店を起業し独立。2018年にフェアトレードオーガニックコーヒー焙煎事業開始。「多様な人々が尊厳を持って交流・交換する場づくりを創設する」を掲げ、中部山岳国立公園地域を中心にファシリテーションとクリエーティブサービス事業を展開している。

現在妻と５人の子どもたちと共に美しい乗鞍高原の暮らしを楽しんでいる。

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YOKONORI means to “stand sideways” in Japanese. Growing up in Oregon, I spent a lot of time skateboarding, snowboarding, and windsurfing. These board sports were how I learned to relate to the world and interact with people.

Having spent most of my adult life in Japan learning to interact with culture, sharing my gifts with people, and trying to find ways to communicate the love of God with people – I am thankful for what I have learned from YOKONORI, or “standing sideways” over the years.

• We all have a strong side and a weak side. (regular vs. switch)
• We all have blind spots. (frontside vs. backside)
• We can gain stability by being a whole person. (healthy body, mind, and soul)

Below are a couple of passages from the Bible that give me direction in life. Both texts are direct quotes from Jesus’ teaching on how he taught us to see people and relate to the world.