Records & People
In May 1956 a Japanese team stood atop Manaslu — and helped start a friendship between two mountain nations. Seventy years on, the "Mountain of the…
By Dawa Sherpa · Jun 11, 2026
Some mountains belong, in spirit, to more than one country. For Japan, that mountain is Manaslu. On 9 May 1956, Toshio Imanishi and the Sherpa Gyalzen Norbu became the first people to stand on its 8,163-metre summit — and that Japanese first ascent became a…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Manaslu's name comes from the Sanskrit manasa — "intellect" or "soul" — which is why it is often called the Mountain of the Spirit. The 1956 Japanese expedition's success was more than a climbing milestone; it opened a lasting relationship between Nepal and…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
You do not need to climb to feel Manaslu's pull. The Manaslu Circuit trek loops right around the massif, through the deeply Tibetan-Buddhist villages of the Nubri and Tsum valleys, past mani walls and monasteries, and over the dramatic Larkya La pass. It is…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
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