The 38th Tokyo International Film Festival will open on October 27 with ‘Climbing for Life.’ Directed by Junji Sakamoto, it is a powerful biographical drama celebrating one of Japan’s most iconic adventurers named Tabei Junko. And the timing of the screening couldn’t be more fitting, as 2025 marks 50 years since Tabei’s groundbreaking ascent of Mount Everest, which is a feat that didn’t just secure her place in history but also transformed global perceptions of women in exploration, such as mountaineering.
Sakamoto, who is famously known as a veteran director, has a career that spans more than three decades. His notable work that stand out on a global level is ‘Zatoichi: The Last and Another World.’ His approach when it comes to storytelling and filmmaking projects with striking intimacy. Rather than a straightforward retelling, Climbing for Life is shaped as a reflection on endurance, ambition, and the quiet sacrifices behind moments of triumph. The screenplay is written by Riko Sakaguchi, who draws directly from Tabei’s memoir ‘My Mountain Life – Up and Down,’ offering us a journey that goes beyond the snow-covered peaks to explore the struggles, its success, and family bonds that defined her remarkable life.
A Stellar Cast Brings Humanity and Depth to Tabei’s Story
The role of Junko Tabei is played by Sayuri Yoshinaga who is a four-time Japanese Academy Best Actress winner and holds the rare honor of being seen as a national treasure. This film marks her first collaboration with Sakamoto in over a decade, and her performance is said to capture both the grace and inner strength of Tabei, as well as the vulnerability of a woman who carried the weight of her achievements in both her personal and physical life. Non (Rena Nōnen) plays a younger Tabei, alongside a strong supporting cast featuring Koichi Sato and Yuki Amami.
Festival organizers describe the film as both deeply personal and universally resonant. Beyond chronicling Tabei’s summit of Everest and her completion of the Seven Summits, the story also delves into the costs of ambition, showing how her drive sometimes casts long shadows on her family and friends. It also follows her later years, when she continued climbing even while battling a terminal illness, an unshakable testament to her spirit.
Sakamoto Honors Tradition While Showcasing Yoshinaga’s Enduring Brilliance
For Sakamoto, having the film selected as TIFF’s opener is especially meaningful. “Although the production process of filmmaking has been dramatically altered in the digital era,” he stated in an interview, adding that “the joy of sharing a film with audiences on the big screen and masterful sound design remains timeless. This film also stands as a testament to the enduring talent of Yoshinaga Sayuri, a national treasure who has graced the pinnacle of stardom for generations.”
Programming director Shozo Ichiyama echoed the sentiment, praising Yoshinaga’s performance and Sakamoto’s meticulous direction. He described Climbing for Life as “one of the year’s most moving works” and emphasized that its themes of perseverance, family, and the pursuit of dreams will resonate far beyond Japan’s borders.
Distributed by Kino Films, Climbing for Life will open in Japanese theaters on October 31, just days after its festival premiere. With the 38th TIFF running through November 5, the choice of this film as its opener ensures the festival begins not with flashy spectacle but with a story of courage, humanity, and the mountains that shaped a legend.
