Profile of Junko Tabei
| Current position | Representative Director of Tabei kikaku Co. Ltd. |
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| Nationality | Japanese |
| Family | Husband and two children ( daughter and son ) |
| 1939 | Born September 22, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. In the fourth grade of elementary school, Tabei, led by her teacher, experienced her first mountain-climbing to the summit of Mt. Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture. |
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| 1962 | Graduated from Showa Women's University, majoring in English & American Literature. Joined workers' mountain-climbing clubs and devoted herself to mountaineering. |
| 1969 | Established “Ladies Climbing Club: Japan,” with the slogan: “Let's go on an overseas expedition by ourselves.” |
| 1975 | As sub-leader of Japanese Women's Everest Expedition and leader of its climbing party, she succeeded in climbing Mt. Everest (8,848 m), thereby becoming the first woman in the world to reach the world's highest peak. Since then, she has continued to climb the world's summits, including ascents of the highest mountains on each continent, such as McKinley and Vinson Massif. |
| 1992 | Became the first woman in the world to reach the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. |
| 2000 | Completed master's course in comparative social culture at Kyushu University, Japan. (Study theme: Garbage problem in the Himalayas.) |
| Present | Goes abroad seven to eight times a year to climb the highest mountain of each country and has climbed the highest peaks of 56 countries as of March 2008. ( see Climbing List ) As chairperson of Himalayan Adventure Trust of Japan (HAT-J), an organization for protecting the mountain environment, she is occupied with outreach activities to educate people about the environment. HAT-J's website (http://www.hat-j.jp/eng/index_eng.htm) |
| Itsudemo Yama wo(Always having mountains at heart) | Shogakukan publishing | 2008 |
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| Yamakarano Okurimono (Gift from the Mountain) | Kadokawa publishing | 2007 |
| Takai Tokoroga Suki (My affection for the highest peaks) | Shogakukan publishing | 2007 |
| Yama-o-Tanoshimu (Enjoying Mountains) | Iwanami Shoten publishing | 2002 |
| Hajimete no Yama-aruki (Mountaineering for Beginners) | Bunka Publishing Bureau | 2002 |
| Everest Mama-san (Mom, Everest) | Yama-to-keikoku-sha publishing | 2000 |
| Apron hazushite Yume no yama. (Taking my apron off to go to the mountains) | Tokyo Shimbun Publishing Bureau | 1996 |
| 1975 | Received Kingdom of Nepal's highest medal, Gurkha-Dakshina-Bahu |
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| 1987 | A Czech astronomer, Antonin Mrkos, named a newly found asteroid as "6897Tabei". |
| 1988 | Fukushima Prefecture’s Medal of Honor, Saitama Prefecture’s Medal of Honor, Kawagoe City’s Medal of Honor, Honorary Citizen of Miharu Town. Avon Sports Award |
| 1992 | Distinguished service Medal on Sports of the Ministry of Education Culture Sports Science and Technology, Japan |
| 1995 | Prime Minister's Award |
| 2004 | The American Geographical Society invited Tabei to be the 71st signer of the Fliers' & Explorers' Globe, on which men and women who have flown over or explored a certain area in the world for the first time are given the honor of writing their signature.She is the only Japanese to have signed this globe. http://www.amergeog.org/globe.htm |
| 2006 | Sen Kayoko Award from the Soroptimist Japan Foundation |
| 2007 | Environment Minister's Award UIAA award for international mountaineering |
| 2008 | The Mountain Institute's 2008 Mountain Hero Award |
| 2009 | Awarded medal of honor for cultural contribution by NHK |
| Chairperson of Himalayan Adventure Trust of Japan |
| Council member of Japanese Alpine Club |
| Member of Central Environment Council, Ministry of Environment |
| Board member of Showa Women's University |
| Director of Japan Trekking Association |
