IN 1983 came a multiple tragedy for the Japanese which triggered strong international criticism. Five Japanese climbers reached the summit from the south-east ridge on October 8 without oxygen, shortly after the first-ever ascent by the US team of the summit from the Kangshuk face of the mountain. Three Japanese subsequently slipped to their deaths. Peter Gillman in his book, Everest, writes that the American Alpine Journal accused the Japanese of 'inexcusable tactics' by climbing individually and not accepting responsibility for their colleagues. The Japanese also have a history of outstanding feats of organisation and technology on the Everest. In 1988, the Japanese participated in an Asian Friendship Expedition with 254 members from China, Nepal, and Japan, including 36 alone from Japanese television.
This Japanese fetish with the Everest has also led them to send the maximum number of people to climb the peak. According to the Japanese Himalaya Association, till December last, of the total of 4,145 people who have tried to scale the Everest, 507 were Japanese. The Japanese head the casualty list too—at 13—outside of the sherpas from India and Nepal who top the overall list of 43.
