Contents
Junko Tabei
Becoming the first woman to climb Everest and the Seven Summits.
Annapurna III · Everest
- Born
- 22 September 1939
- Birthplace
- Miharu, Japan
- Died
- 20 October 2016
More people
Junko Tabei
Japanese mountaineer who opened new possibilities for women in climbing. Her later work included mountain conservation and taking young people into the outdoors.
Early life
First mountain
A school trip to Mount Nasu at about ten years old sparked her interest in climbing.
Literature studies
Studied English and American literature at Showa Women’s University before pursuing mountaineering more seriously.
Career
- 1960s
Finding a climbing community
Joined climbing clubs and helped establish a women’s mountaineering club in 1969.
- 1970–1975
Himalayan expeditions
Climbed Annapurna III before joining the Japanese women’s Everest expedition.
- 1990s onward
Climbing and conservation
Completed the Seven Summits and continued climbing alongside environmental work.
Expeditions & achievements
Annapurna III
Reached the summit on a Japanese women’s expedition.
Everest
Became the first woman to reach the summit on 16 May.
Seven Summits
Became the first woman to climb the highest mountain on every continent.
Beyond climbing
Mountain conservation
Studied the environmental impact of Everest expeditions and supported efforts to reduce mountain waste.
Young climbers
Led Mount Fuji trips for young people affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗ABC News obituary ↗Photo: Jaan Künnap. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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