Japanese climber Naoko Watanabe, who has successfully climbed all 14 of the world’s highest mountains, says mountaineering is not only about breaking records but also about enjoying adventure, meeting people and experiencing different cultures.
The 44-year-old climber is also the first woman to summit K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, three times.
Despite her achievements, Watanabe describes herself as an ordinary person who happened to set records while climbing the Himalayas during her holidays.
She said mountain climbing gives her peace of mind and helps her escape the pressures of Japan’s highly demanding and conformity-driven society.
Watanabe is now preparing for another trip to Nanga Parbat in June. Known as the “killer mountain,” Nanga Parbat is the world’s ninth-highest peak and one of her favorite destinations.
This time, she plans to travel with a group of amateur trekkers, most of whom will remain at the base camp instead of attempting the summit.
Watanabe said she wants people to enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas without feeling pressure to reach the top.
According to her, climbers should move at their own pace, take photographs, relax and enjoy conversations with Sherpa guides rather than focus only on hard climbing.
Born in 1981 in Onojo City in southern Japan, Watanabe developed a passion for adventure at an early age after joining a children’s adventure club encouraged by her mother.
She began climbing mountains at the age of three and later joined expeditions in China, Mongolia and Pakistan during her childhood.
Watanabe originally worked as a nurse and used her income to support her climbing activities. After becoming a full-time hospital nurse in 2009, she struggled to balance work and mountaineering and later switched to temporary nursing jobs to allow more time for climbing.
She said her medical background has helped her during difficult situations on mountains, especially when making quick decisions related to health and weather conditions.
During her first attempt to climb Mount Everest in 2011, Watanabe turned back just 150 meters below the summit because of worsening weather and concerns about oxygen supply. She later lost her eyesight temporarily and developed pneumonia, but safely returned.
Two years later, she successfully climbed Everest despite strong winds.
In October 2024, Watanabe became the first Japanese woman to summit all 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters after climbing Mount Shishapangma.
Earlier in July 2024, she set another record by becoming the first woman to reach the summit of K2 three times, an achievement recognised by Guinness World Records.
Watanabe says she plans to continue climbing simply because it makes her happy.
She added that if she eventually climbs Himalayan mountains around 100 times, that could become her own unique record.