Born: 22 September 1939, Japan
Died: 20 October 2016
Country most active: Japan
Also known as: 田部井 淳子
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Junko Tabei (田部井 淳子) was a renowned Japanese mountaineer, author, and teacher. She was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest and the first to ascend the Seven Summits, conquering the highest peak on each continent.
Tabei authored seven books, organized environmental projects to clean up debris left by climbers on Everest, and led annual climbs up Mount Fuji for youth affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
In 1969, Tabei founded the Joshi-Tohan Club, an exclusive women’s mountaineering group, partially because of her experiences with male climbers who either refused to climb with her or misconstrued her intentions.
The Joshi-Tohan Club went on their first expedition in 1970, scaling Annapurna III in Nepal via a new route, marking the first female and Japanese ascent of the peak. After this success, the Joshi-Tohan Club set their sights on Mount Everest. They formed the Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition (JWEE), comprising 15 members, many of whom were working women and two mothers. Despite facing skepticism and a lack of financial support, Tabei’s determination prevailed. She secured sponsors, including the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper and Nippon Television, while teaching piano lessons and fashioning her equipment to save money.
In May 1975, Tabei’s team set out on their Everest expedition, garnering significant media attention. They retraced the path taken by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, accompanied by six sherpa guides.
On May 4, a devastating avalanche struck, burying their camp at 6,300 meters. Tabei and four team members were trapped but were successfully rescued by sherpa guides without casualties. Despite injuries, Tabei resumed her leadership. Originally planning for two climbers to summit, altitude sickness altered their course. Tabei, chosen by expedition leader Ang Tsering, persevered through perilous terrain. On May 16, 1975, she made history as the first woman to conquer Mount Everest’s summit alongside her sherpa guide, Ang Tsering.
The following was written by Chloe Lee for iFeminist and is republished with permission.
Junko Tabei was born on September 22, 1939, in Miharu, Japan, where she was raised in a large family with seven children. Although she was described as the weakest child of the family, nothing stopped her from developing her love of mountain climbing. Her passion for mountain climbing began on her first school trip to Mount Nasu in Nikko National Park, when she was just ten years old. Instantly, she fell in love with hiking, nature, and most notably, mountain climbing. Likewise, she said in an interview, “I realized that there are so many things in the world which I have never encountered….I became determined to go wherever I could go.” However, Junko had to abandon her dream after her reality struck her. Mountain climbing was a sport her family could not afford on a regular basis. In addition, she was expected to obtain an education and pursue a respectable career due to the demanding Japanese society.
After giving up on her dream of mountain climbing, Junko attended university in order to become a teacher. She graduated from Showa Women’s University in 1962 and obtained a degree in American and English Literature. Shortly after graduating, Junko joined mountain climbing clubs to reignite and nurture her interest. She fell in love with the sport again, saying, “[I]t was like some vital organ in my body had started to function again. This was the real me and I discovered myself by climbing mountains. I felt a great sense of freedom.” Regardless of her ability to climb, men both inside and outside of the sport repeatedly criticized her solely because she was a woman. In their minds, she joined the male-dominated club only because she was looking for a husband. Despite their ignorant comments and her inability to develop a relationship with her teammates, Junko climbed every large mountain in Japan, including Mountain Tanigawa and Mountain Fuji. Mount Tanigawa was also where she met her husband, Masanobu Tabei, who, unlike other men, supported Junko throughout her climbing career. The two married in 1967 and had children despite her mother’s objections to marrying a man without a college degree.
In 1969, Junko decided to start the first women’s climbing club in Japan, Joshi-Tohan. The club established itself under a powerful motto, “Let’s go on an overseas expedition by ourselves.” Nevertheless, reality struck Junko again. The group was denounced and told they should be home raising children. As a result, they could not find any sponsors for their expeditions to the Himalayas. While this certainly was an obstacle, nothing stopped Junko. To pay for the mountain climbing activities, she took on numerous jobs. Junko went to the lengths of becoming an editor for a science journal and teaching the piano.
In 1970, the first expedition of the Joshi-Tohan group took place as they climbed Annapurna III in Nepal. Many factors made the journey difficult, such as the temperature dropping so low to a point where the film in the cameras shattered and grueling adjustments to the altitude and pace. Regardless of the obstacles, the women adapted and reached the top of the summit, making history.
After their significant achievement, Junko led the group to attempt to climb Mount Everest, which was around 4,000 feet more than Annapurna III. Once again, it was difficult to find sponsors and the group waited four years to finally receive a place in the climbing schedule. Luckily, they eventually found two sponsors, Yomiuri Shimbun (Japanese newspaper) and Nippon Television. Despite the sponsors’ generous donations, each member still had to pay $5,000 each. Tabei never took “no” for an answer and raised money through teaching piano and hand-making crucial equipment necessary for the mission.
At last, the group was finally permitted to ascend Mount Everest. However, not everything went as planned; an avalanche hit the camp and buried the climbers. Unfortunately, it took two days of recovery for Tabei to regain consciousness and rest. Still, the group faced lack of oxygen, resulting in only one climber reaching the summit. After much deliberation, the team agreed to let Junko finish the climb.
On May 16, 1975, Junko Tabei and her Sherpa guide, Ang Tsering, reached the top of Mount Everest, making her the first-ever woman to ever climb the world’s tallest mountain.
After enduring one of the most mentally and physically challenging events of her life, Tabei later continued to climb many more mountains. She went on to complete the Seven Summits Challenge, making her the first woman to climb the tallest peak on each continent. Even though many were now eager to sponsor her, she raised money by herself. She made many public appearances, published seven books, and became a hiking guide.
Climbing frequently helped Junko grow aware of the impact her sport had on the environment. She became concerned that garbage and human waste were impacting the terrain in Mount Everest. Thus, in 2002, she completed her postgraduate studies on degradation and preservation of the environment. Subsequently, she began advocating for sustainable mountain climbing and created the Himalayan Adventure Fund, an association focused on environmental protection. Additionally, Junko started the tradition of climbing Mount Fuji, Japan’s largest peak, with students from her hometown that had been affected by earthquakes and tsunamis. She has set an example for many peers by giving back to her community and the environment.
In 2012, Tabei was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Despite her diagnosis, she continued mountain climbing until her death in 2016 at the age of 77, and she had climbed more than 150 mountains in 76 countries.
By breaking stereotypes, Tabei Junko set the example that women can pursue their dreams, despite what they are told and society’s preconceived judgment. “I just simply climbed a mountain—but the environment around me changed so much, just because I was the first woman”. Her legacy is everlasting, as many have continued to recognize her accomplishments, celebrating them through different means. Before her death, the asteroid 6897 Tabei was named after her and just three years later, a mountain range in Pluto was named Tabei Montes to honor her achievements. Lastly, Google celebrated her 80th birthday with an animated doodle.