1956 Japanese Manaslu Expedition

Japan🏔️ 3 Peaks

Aritsune Maki

Aritsune Maki (known widely as Maki Yūkō) was born on February 5, 1894, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Educated at Keio University, Maki developed into a brilliant technical rock climber in the Japanese Alps before traveling to Europe in 1919 to pursue advanced alpine mountaineering in Switzerland and Great Britain. In the Bernese Oberland, Maki turned his attention to the formidable and unclimbed Mittellegi Ridge of the Eiger—a razor-sharp, heavily corniced limestone crest that had repelled alpine climbers for decades. On September 10, 1921, Maki alongside Swiss guides Fritz Steuri, Samuel Brawand, and Fritz Amatter completed the historic first ascent of the Mittellegi Ridge. In gratitude, Maki donated 10,000 Swiss francs to build the Mittellegi Hut, providing vital refuge for subsequent mountaineers. In 1925, Maki led a groundbreaking expedition of the Japanese Alpine Club to the Canadian Rockies, achieving the first ascent of Mount Alberta (3,619 m), one of North America's most challenging peaks, where the team famously left a silver ice axe on the summit. In 1956, at age 62, Maki served as the visionary general leader of the triumphant Japanese expedition to Manaslu (8,163 m), which achieved Japan's first 8,000-metre summit conquest. Maki served as President of the Japanese Alpine Club from 1944 to 1946 and again from 1957 to 1963. He passed away on May 2, 1989, honored as the greatest international mountaineer in modern Japanese history.

Nepal🏔️ 2 Peaks

Gyalzen Norbu

Gyalzen Norbu was born around 1918 in the high valleys of the Solukhumbu district in eastern Nepal. Endowed with immense physical stamina, unshakeable courage, and sharp tactical leadership, Gyalzen established himself in the post-World War II era as one of the most elite and sought-after Sherpa Sirdars in the Greater Ranges. His intimate understanding of Himalayan ice and weather patterns earned him profound respect from European, Asian, and American expedition leaders alike. In the spring of 1955, Gyalzen Norbu served as Sirdar for the French Makalu Expedition led by Jean Franco. Guiding the heavy supply trains across the Barun wilderness and up the treacherous Makalu La icefall, Gyalzen ensured flawless logistical support for the team. On May 16, 1955—the day after Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy claimed the summit—Gyalzen joined the second summit wave alongside Jean Bouvier and Serge Coupé, becoming one of the first human beings to stand atop the 8,485-meter apex of Makalu. Just one year later, in the spring of 1956, Gyalzen took on the Sirdarship for the third Japanese Manaslu Expedition under Aritsune Maki. His diplomatic poise was crucial in bridging cultural divides with the frightened villagers of Sama Gompa, who feared mountain deities. On May 9, 1956, partnered with Japanese climber Toshio Imanishi, Gyalzen Norbu led the final assault up the Northeast Face, conquering the exposed knife-edge summit crest of Manaslu at 8,163 meters. With this triumph, Gyalzen achieved what no other mountaineer in human history has ever matched: he became the first ascender of two virgin eight-thousanders on their maiden climbs. Gyalzen continued to guide international expeditions on the frontiers of high-altitude exploration until his tragic death in an avalanche on an expedition in 1961. Decorated with the prestigious Tiger of the Snows distinction by the Himalayan Club, Gyalzen Norbu stands immortalized as a foundational colossus of Himalayan mountaineering heritage.

Japan🏔️ 1 Peak

Toshio Imanishi

Toshio Imanishi was born on December 14, 1914, in Kobe, Japan. Educated at Kyoto Imperial University, Imanishi was a dedicated alpinist and founding member of the modern Japanese high-altitude climbing movement. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he forged demanding winter routes in the Northern Japanese Alps before focusing his ambition on the unclimbed giants of the Himalayas. Following Nepal’s post-war opening to foreign climbers, the Japanese Alpine Club (JAC) adopted Manaslu (8,163m)—the 'Mountain of the Spirit' in the Mansiri Himal—as Japan's national mountain objective. Imanishi served as a lead climber on the 1953 Japanese reconnaissance and the 1954 expedition. In 1954, the expedition was halted when local villagers from Sama Gompa barred their passage, believing previous foreign intrusions had provoked the mountain gods to unleash a devastating avalanche that destroyed their ancient monastery. Displaying immense cultural tact, patience, and diplomacy, Imanishi and team leader Aritsune Maki negotiated with local lamas, donating funds to rebuild the sacred monastery and securing permission to return. In the spring of 1956, the third Japanese expedition mounted a decisive assault up the Northeast Face. Teaming up with the formidable Nepalese Sherpa Sirdar Gyalzen Norbu, Imanishi established Camp VI at 7,800 meters. On the morning of May 9, 1956, using open-circuit oxygen equipment, Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu navigated the steep, avalanche-swept snow plateau and climbed an extremely delicate, razor-thin snow crest. At 12:30 PM, both men stepped onto the pinnacle summit of Manaslu at 8,163 meters, claiming the eighth eight-thousander in human history. In Japan, the conquest of Manaslu created an overwhelming national sensation comparable to Britain's euphoria over Mount Everest, inspiring generations of Japanese climbers. Imanishi continued a distinguished industrial career while leading alpine initiatives, eventually serving as President of the Japanese Alpine Club from 1985 to 1989. He passed away on November 13, 1995, revered as one of the founding fathers of Asian high-altitude mountaineering.