In the fall of 1832, Tatsu Takayama reached the 3,776-meter summit of Mount Fuji, becoming the first woman on record to have scaled Japan¡¯s highest peak.
¡°I want to encourage all women to climb the mountain,¡± she said before reaching the summit, according to historical accounts.
Takayama¡¯s accomplishment wasn¡¯t only an adventurous pursuit, but an act of defiance against rules known as nyonin kinsei, or pre-Meiji Era (1868-1912) customs that prohibited women from entering Japan¡¯s sacred sites, some of which included mountains.
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