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.