Japanese Nurse Becomes First Woman from Her Country to Conquer All 14 Eight-Thousanders

Naoko Watanabe, a 44-year-old Japanese nurse, achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Japanese woman to summit all fourteen of the world’s peaks that rise above 8,000 metres, finishing the series in October 2024. Her passion for climbing was sparked in early childhood by a mother who loved the sport and was nurtured through school expeditions in Nepal where she handled medical supplies. The path was fraught with challenges: she turned back just 150 metres from Everest’s summit in 2011, suffered a fall that caused temporary loss of consciousness, and survived an avalanche on an 8,000-metre Chinese mountain.

To afford each climb, she cut living costs, worked night shifts at an elderly-care facility, and took on debt, balancing her nursing career with high-altitude ambitions. Learning the Sherpa language and forming close friendships, particularly with Pechhumbe Sherpa who describes her as a confidante, proved vital to her perseverance. Watanabe recently published a book, “Everest is an izakaya,” reflecting on her journeys and the camaraderie that drives her continued love of the mountains.