Being on top of Mt. Everest had been his dream-come-true. He said, “No matter how old you are, you can sill hold on to your dreams. You have to continue to make an effort to turn your dreams into reality. I learned that if you keep heart and take one small step after another, you can stand on top of the world.”

Yuichiro Miura (三浦 雄一郎) was born in Aomori, Japan, on Oct. 12, 1932. After graduating from University of Hokkaido he became the first Japanese professional skier to participate international competitions. In 1964 he participated in the Italian Kilometer Lanciad, at which he made a new world record of 172.084kph.

YMiura has made many world records and kept pushing the envelope as an adventure skier. In 1966 he became the first to ski down Mount Fuji with a parachute brake. He also became the first to ski down Popocatepetl (1968), Towers of Paine (1969).

YMiura eventually became the first man to ski the highest peaks in seven continents in 1985, best known for the feat to ski down Mount Everest in 1970. It was documented in the Oscar-winning film “The Man Who Skied Down Everest” (1976).

Miura’s accomplishments have been a huge inspiration to people of all ages in the world. Although his world record as the oldest to climb Mt. Everest was broken by another 71-year-old Japanese climber on May 29, 2007, Miura plans to summit Qomolangma (Mt. Everest) once again from China in 2008.

“Have faith in yourself (when you face death.) The fear gets you nowhere. You don’t care if you live or die when your hearts beats are running over 100. Most of the fears you have will just go away when you climb a mountain.”

In 1964 he became the first Japanese sever to compete in Kilometer Lanciad Italy. He set the world skiing record of 172.084kph.
In 1966 he skied down Mt. Fuji, using parachute as stopping device.
In 1966, Mt. Kossciiusko, the highest peak in Australia.
In 1967, Mt. Mackinley, the highest peak in North America.
In 1968, Mt. Popocatepetoro in Mexico.
In 1969, Towers of Paine.
In 1970 he skied down Mt. Everest from South col (8000m), made world record skiing down from the highest point on the earth (Guinness World Record Registered)
In 1981 he skied down Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, together with his father Keizo (77), who made the eldest record, and his son Gota (11), who made the youngest record for climbing.
In 1983, Mt. Vinson Massif, the highest peak in Antarctica.
In 1985, Mt. Elbrus, Russia, the highest peak in Europe.
In 1985, Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America.

In 2002 he summited Cho Oyu together with his son Gota.
In 2003 he became the oldest to summit Mt. Everest.

Tamae Watanabe was born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1938. At the age of 27, in her first ascent, she climbed the Japan North Alps with a work colleague. At 38 she joined the front ranks of the world’s alpinists when she reached the summit of Mt. McKinley, North America’s highest peak. She was a late bloomer among alpinists, but in a splendid achievement, she conquered five 8,000 meter mountains including Mont Blanc, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua.

Watanabe calls herself a commonplace middle-aged lady. Actually it was only just before leaving for Mt. Everest that she recognized she was the oldest woman alpinist in the world. On this mountain, the wind is filled with powdery snow to a height of 500 meters and great chunks of ice, the size of buildings, collapse around you. Another alpinist, climbing about the same time, was killed in a fall. Watanabe faced the danger of Everest and returned.

Behind her records there is a history of both physical and spiritual endurance. This strength was bred into her character by the rigors of her poor farming upbringing. Her father grew ill when she was a junior high school student, so she helped her family with the farming, pulled a cart and carried a night-soil bucket on her shoulder every day. After finishing her work in the evening, she bicycled 6 kilometers to attend high school part time.

When she retired as the head manager of the prefectural high school, she returned to her hometown in Yamanashi Prefecture, and became a guide to natural history at Fuji. In the mountain climbing school there, she shares the stories of her favorite climbing adventures. And she still climbs, taking up the challenge of mountains.

Minoru Saito (斉藤 実) began yachting in 1973 and participated in such events as Toba Pearl Race between Aburatsubo and Toba.
After purchasing 43-ft yacht in Australia, Saito continued regatta racing.

In 1991, Saito modified his cruising yacht into a racing one, and sailed 12,000 nautical miles by himself from Sydney to Newport. This qualified him for entry in BOC (currently the Around Alone), the greatest challenge in single-handed world circumnavigation. He participated in it three times. On his third challenge, he completed the race in 203 days at the age of 65. 

Though Saito is unknown in Japan, where yachting under sail is not widespread, he received recognition from the international yachting community at 6th annual award ceremony for Around Alone (1998-99,) at which he received the title of “Spirit of Around Alone”.

In the race from October 2004 to June 2005, Saito completed a solo world circumnavigation at the age of 71 becoming the oldest to have achieved this feat.

In recognition of this and previous successes, on January 16, 2007 Saito became the first Asian to receive the “The Blue Water Medal,” the most prestigious international award for amateur yachtsmen. The honor was bestowed by the Cruising Club of America, distinguished with the most America’s Cup victories over the regatta’s 130 years.

Minoru Saito will undertake a westerly single-handed non-stop world circumnavigation in the Challenge 8, setting out in October 2008 returning to port in the year of the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of Yokohama Port in June 2009.

This route is more difficult than the easterly one. As the westerly course (Yokohama Port – East of Australia – West South of Australia – South of South Africa – Cape Horn – East of Galapagos Island – the Mariana Islands – Yokohama Port) runs counter to the earth’s rotation, in the face of prevailing winds and currents, a difficult voyage is anticipated. The route will navigate the Cape of Good Hope from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the world’s most difficult reach of water, ever feared by world’s sailors.

Saito says that this challenge is not personal, but undertaken for Japan, yachtsmen everywhere and people throughout the world.

This 8th game was played at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka on November 20, 1934. The Major League team had won the previous 7 games. While this team had prominent players such as the home run king, Babe Ruth, and iron man, Lou Gehrig, the Japanese team was made up of players of different levels because the professional baseball league in Japan had not been established yet.

The starting pitcher for the 8th game was Eiji Sawamura. He was only 17 years old and had just left Kyoto Commerce High School in order to join the Japanese team. In the early innings of the game, he struck out four sluggers in a row: Gehringer, Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx, gave a hit to Ruth, and shutout the Americans for 6 innings.  But in the 7th inning, Gehrig hit Sawamura’s curveball to right field for a home run. This was the only score for the Major League in this game. The Japanese team was defeated one to zero.
Sawamura left the mound at the 8th inning and became the losing pitcher, but pitched well with 5 hits, 1 point lost and 9 strikeouts. Sawamura earned the name “schoolboy Sawamura” in the U.S., and became famous among the people related to the Major League.

In the following year, Sawamura joined the first professional baseball team in Japan: Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club (present-day Giants), and went on a tour to the United States. It is said that a scout of the Major League pretended to be a fan and presented a contract to Sawamura, but Sawamura’s companion noticed it and made Sawamura refuse.

On December 2, 1944, Sawamura went to the warfront in Philippines by ship for the 3rd time. Tragically, his ship was attacked and sunk in the East China Sea. Sawamura was killed in the war.

In 1947 the Giants praised Sawamura’s distinguished services and specified uniform number 14 as a retired number. This was the first time in the history of Japanese professional baseball. In the same year, the Sawamura Award was also established, to be given to the most active, whole-game, starting pitcher.