Photo/Illutration Shiori Hashimoto, physician and the president of the Japanese Alpine Club (Photo by Shoko Terasaki)

Renowned physician and mountaineer Shiori Hashimoto has dedicated her life to scaling the peaks of both her medical field and the world's highest mountains.

As the first female president of the Japanese Alpine Club, Hashimoto has been championing for inclusion and accessibility in the sport.

Her journey, deeply influenced by her father, a doctor at a tuberculosis sanatorium nestled in the foothills of Mount Tanzawasan, began at an early age.

A pivotal moment came during a school trip to the Northern Japan Alps when Hashimoto was in junior high school. The exhilarating feeling of accomplishment ignited a lifelong passion for climbing.

As a medical student at Tokyo Women's Medical University, she revived the university's mountaineering club with the guidance of Michiko Imai, a renowned climber who graduated from the institution.

After graduating and practicing medicine for two years, Hashimoto was inspired by Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Mount Everest.

Despite initially believing that her climbing days were over, she joined Tabei's expedition to Bhutan in 1983 as the team's medical officer.

While providing health care for the team, she also conducted research on how low oxygen levels at high altitudes affect the human body.

In 1988, she achieved a significant milestone by leading an expedition to the summit of Gasherbrum II, the 8,035-meter peak on the China-Pakistan border.

In 2001, she founded an organization that supports women cancer survivors who want to enjoy mountaineering.

Recognizing the need for specialized medical expertise in high-altitude environments, she obtained international mountain medicine certification in 2012.

With a history of nearly 120 years, the Japanese Alpine Club currently has around 4,300 members, but the number is constantly declining.

With the average age of club members exceeding 70 and women accounting for only 24.9 percent of the membership, Hashimoto has set a new vision for the organization: "Making mountaineering accessible to all."

To support women's participation, she launched a women-only mountaineering workshop last fall.

With the catchphrase “From Himalayan expeditions to hiking Mount Takaosan in western Tokyo,” the workshop offers programs tailored to different skill levels and physical abilities.

Even at 71, Hashimoto is still a passionate climber. On her days off, she can often be seen rucking on Mount Takaosan with a 20-30 kilogram weighted backpack for multiple ascents.

She also makes an annual pilgrimage to Mount Fuji.

As the winter climbing season approaches, she's already planning her next adventure, eager to tackle new mountains and share her passion with others.

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