The film depicts the life and travels of
Naomi Uemura, an adventurer and mountaineer who disappeared on
Denali in 1984. Uemura, having just completed a 3,000-kilometer
dog sled solo trip in
Greenland, returns to Tokyo from his
base camp in
Siorapaluk. He has not visited his home country for several years. Upon arrival, Uemura reconnects with his old friend Kimiko and, over coffee, shares his life story with her. His story begins with his college years. As a student, Uemura attends
Meiji University, and he is part of the university's mountaineering club. But Uemura does not like school. He believes he should be out experiencing the world instead. Dropping out, he decides to come to the United States via a ship from
Yokohama with only ¥40,000 in his pocket. However, because he does not have a
work visa, he is deported. Afterwards, he travels to
Chamonix, France. While working there, he volunteers for an expedition to the
Himalayas. This reignites his passion for mountaineering. When the expedition has concluded, he feels that further group climbs are not suitable for him, so he decides to move forward by
climbing solo, ascending the peaks of
Mont Blanc, the
Matterhorn,
Mount Kilimanjaro,
Aconcagua and other mountains in the process. Throughout his journeys, he accomplishes several "firsts", such as being the first person to
raft the
Amazon River solo. In May 1970, depite his preference for solo climbing, Uemura becomes a member of the Everest International Mountaineering Corps, the first Japanese expedition to reach the summit of
Mount Everest. Three months later, he succeeds in climbing Denali, the highest peak in North America, alone, the first person to ever do so. He eventually sets a record for conquering the highest peaks of five continents. After a few more years, Uemura attempts an early retirement. He goes back to Japan to obtain a regular job. However, he does not last long at any position, and ends up going back to the adventurer lifestyle. Uemura's story catches up to the present as he recounts his recent expedition in northern Greenland. Over the course of telling the story, Uemura and Kimiko have grown close, with Kimiko experiencing a major emotional reaction to his tale. Upon concluding, Uemura proposes to Kimiko. She accepts his proposal. In 1974, the couple get married. Nonetheless, Uemura does not lose his enthusiasm for journeying and adventure, which puts a strain on his marriage (though Kimiko eventually comes to accept her husband's lifestyle). He soon makes another solo dog sled trip of 12,000 kilometers in the
Arctic Circle, a journey which lasts nearly a year and a half. Along the way, Uemura is attacked by a
polar bear. By April 1978, he succeeds in reaching the North Pole solo, the first person to ever do so. Upon his return to Japan, Uemura immediately makes plans to cross
Antarctica; however, he gives up on this plan, as he cannot obtain the necessary cooperation of
Argentina's government due to the
Falklands War. Kimiko asks Uemura to stay in Japan with her, wanting to spend more time with him and fearing for his safety, but Uemura continues to feel the call of adventure. He attempts another solo climb of Denali. In February 1984, after climbing the mountain alone in the winter season, Uemura's base camp loses contact with him. Despite a desperate search, he is not found. When his death is confirmed on 19 April 1984, the Japanese government presents Uemura with a National Honor Award for his outstanding achievements in life. ==Cast==