“Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is most important.” This is a quote by Junko Tabei, a Japanese mountaineer, author, and teacher.

Now, you may be wondering, What is so good about this Junko Tabei woman? Well, I’ll get to that. First, let’s start with her early life. Junko was born on September 22, 1939. She was the fifth child of seven. Her parents are unknown; however, her father worked as a printer. She went to Showa Women’s University from 1958-1962, where she studied English and American Literature. She earned a degree in both of these subjects. 

Now, some of her greatest accomplishments: She established a ladies’ climbing club called Joshi-Tohan. The slogan for this club was, “Let’s go on an overseas expedition by ourselves.” A year after her club was established, the members went on their first adventure. They climbed the Nepalese mountain, Annapurna III, on May 19, 1970. A year after that first expedition as a club, the members created a team called Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition (JWEE), which was led by Eiko Hisano. The group applied for a permit to climb Mount Everest and was approved four years later in 1975. 

Junko Tabei and Sherpa guide, Ang Tsering, were appointed to climb the final stage toward the summit. Just before reaching the top, Junko suffered mild bruises and injuries from an avalanche. She kept climbing and was the first woman to scale Mount Everest and the 36th person overall. When Junko finished the climb, there was a message waiting from the king in Kathmandu, Nepal. Along with the message, there was also a parade to celebrate her accomplishment. 

Junko continued to climb. She fully scaled Mount Kilimanjaro (1980), Mount Aconcagua (1987), Mount Denali (1988), Mount Vinson (1989), and the Carstensz Pyramid (1992). By the end of her career, she had conquered over 70 mountains in pursuit of her goal to climb the highest mountain in every country. 

Junko Tabei completed post-graduate studies at Kyushu University, focusing on environmental changes on Mount Everest. She led and participated in clean-up climbs in the Himalayan Mountains with her husband and children. She spent her later years focused on environmentalism and taking care of the earth. On March 11, 2011, a tsunami struck Junko Tabei’s hometown of Fukushima. Many people were left homeless or forced out of their homes. In 2012, Tabei organized an annual mountain climb with affected children from the area of Mount Fuji. Since then, there have been 10 annual climbs.

Sadly, in 2016, Junko Tabei got stomach cancer. She attempted one last climb on Mount Fuji and had to turn back at an elevation of just 1.9 miles. 

Junko Tabei lived a life full of adventure and became famous in Japan and around the world. She once claimed, “I am uncomfortable with the fame. I would like to be recognized as the 36th person to climb Mount Everest. Not the first woman.” She has inspired many people, old and young, male and female. She stood for women’s rights because when she joined a climbing class, her peers thought she was only trying to get a husband. Although she did get married after she started climbing, she continued to climb for the rest of her life.