Movie “Teppen no Mukou ni Anata ga iru” Opening Day Stage Greeting Report

 

Junko Tabei, who founded a women's climbing club with the motto “Let's go on overseas expeditions with only women,” succeeded in becoming the first woman in the world to summit Mount Everest in 1975 as deputy leader and climbing leader of the Japanese Women's Everest Expedition.

Based on the true story of Junko Tabei, Japan's great female mountaineer, this film depicts her life on a grand scale—from her historic first female ascent of Everest, through her battle with illness in her later years, and her courageous life climbing mountains until just before her death despite a terminal prognosis. The film “Beyond the Summit” opened nationwide on Friday, October 31, 2025, marking the 50th anniversary of her world-first female ascent of Everest.

Playing the protagonist, Junko Tabe, is Sayuri Yoshinaga, a leading actress in Japanese cinema, marking her 124th film appearance.
And I, NON, had the honor of portraying the younger Junko.

Koichi Sato plays Masaaki, Junko's supportive husband. Yuki Amami portrays Etsuko Kitayama, Junko's close friend and climbing partner on Everest. Alongside them, talented actors including Fumino Kimura, Tatsuya Wakaba, Asuka Kudo, and Mizuki Kayashima gathered for the opening day stage greeting, representing the formidable cast scaling this lofty peak.

“Teppen no Mukou ni Anata ga iru” opens Friday, October 31st.

The opening day stage greeting at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku featured lead actors Sayuri Yoshinaga, Koichi Sato, Yuki Amami, NON, Fumino Kimura, Tatsuya Wakaba, Asuka Kudo, Mizuki Kayashima, and director Junji Sakamoto.

Non reflected on her joy upon being cast: “I'm truly delighted to have reached this day. When I learned I'd be part of this film, I was so thrilled I practically jumped for joy at home. Now that filming's finished and I know everyone will see it, I'm incredibly excited. Ms. Yoshinaga and Ms. Tabei overlap in this film, amplifying their combined power. I believe watching it enriches your life. Please savor every moment.”

To commemorate the opening day, a flip talk segment was held, playing on the film's title. Participants shared what “beyond the peak” means to them and what important things lie “beyond the peak.”

Kudo revealed, "My nephew, of course. He's almost 7 months old now, and he's adorable. I'm completely smitten with him. I spend quite a bit on him too. I have to carefully pick out clothes for him every season. I just want to spoil him rotten." He revealed his doting state over his nephew.

Sato gave an intriguing answer: “There was a peak.” He explained, "After appearing in over 100 films and working in this industry for 45 years, I thought I'd climbed pretty high. But when I suddenly look up, I realize I still haven't reached the peak. No matter how far you walk, you can't reach the summit in this world. In that sense, beyond the top, there's another top." His profound reasoning as an actor drew applause from the audience.

Amami-san added, "It's yourself. No matter how long you wait, you can't see the top, and it feels like a battle with yourself. With every project, I confront my own lack of talent. I fight that. Truly. Everyone here has different professions, and I imagine you're all fighting your own battles too. This is a film about people fighting themselves, so I hope it gives you courage."

Ms. Kayashima shared, "Beyond the peak is my mother. I truly respect her. When I was in elementary school aiming to be a pro golfer, she drove me to practice every morning, then handled her own work and household chores. My entire childhood was made possible by my mom, who supported my dreams."

Kimura responded, “I wish there were friends waiting beyond the summit. If there were friends cheering and waiting for you after you've pushed through something, it would make all the effort worthwhile. That's why I chose ‘friends’.”

Wakaba commented, “My answer is friends. I'm glad Kimura-san and I gave such sibling-like answers,” highlighting their compatibility. He continued, “I truly love my friends. Like Kayashima-san, I also deeply respect my mother. She always told me, ‘Friends are the ones who'll be with you longer than me and truly care about you, so treasure them.’ I've always remembered that.”

Non's answer was “futon” (quilt).
She explained, “Well, I work hard and live my life with the determination that when I get home every day, I'll sleep three times over. Of course, I receive so much from important people like family and friends, but the first thing that came to mind was my futon...”

Sato couldn't help but interject, “What about what I or Amami said then?” to which she replied, “Oh no, I messed up. That's not the point...”

“I believe it's a film that young people will find very enjoyable, and it also gives people my age the feeling that we should keep living. I know the director would scold me for saying this before the film, but that's how I feel. I'll leave it at that for the audience.”

Finally, the director responded, “There are anonymous people. Nowadays, when you make a movie on social media, anonymous people write insults and all sorts of things, and I find myself getting hurt by each one. But then I think, ‘Well, those people paid money to go to the theater.’ It's tough, but I guess I just have to accept it. In that sense, beyond the peak, there are anonymous people.”

Yoshinaga concluded, “I've been expressing my gratitude to the audience throughout, and it truly stays with me forever. We all worked so hard on this film, so I hope you leave feeling warm inside. Thank you.”

The director concluded, “If you enjoyed watching it today, please come back to the theater again, bringing friends, relatives, complete strangers—anyone at all. Today, I'll share something special just for those who came on opening day. The actors don't know this at all; it's something only I, the director, can say. This film is most enjoyable the second time around. Thank you very much.” The venue closed its curtains, enveloped in a warm and friendly atmosphere throughout.

 

■ “Teppen no Mukou ni Anata ga iru” Official Trailer

【Work Overview】
■Title：Teppen no Mukou ni Anata ga Iru
■Release：October 31, 2025
■Film Distribution：Kino Films 
■Official WebSite：https://www.teppen-movie.jp/

【STORY】
In 1975, a woman is on her way to the summit of Mount Everest. Step by step, she steadily made her way to the summit, and her name was Junko Tabe.
At 16:30 Japan time, Junko became the first woman to conquer the world's highest peak, a feat that stunned the world and cast a deep shadow over Junko as well as her friends and family.
In her later years, despite being told that she had little time left to live, Junko continued to challenge herself in the mountains with a cheerful smile, bringing her family, friends, and others around her into her life, saying, "It's when times are tough that I smile.
As a mountaineer, a mother, a wife, and a human being, Junko was always ready to share her life with her family and friends.
What did Junko see beyond the “top” at the end of her life?

【Credit & Billing】

Cast：Sayuri Yoshinaga
NON
Fumino Kimura, Ryuya Wakaba
Asuka Kudo／Mizuki Kayashima
Yuki Amami／Koichi Sato
Director：Junji Sakamoto
Script：Riko Sakaguchi 　Music：Goro Yasukawa
Original Story: Junko Tabei,"Jinsei, yama ari "tokidoki" tani ari" (USHIO PUBLISHING CO.,LTD.)
executive producer：Naoya Kinoshita
Production: “Teppen no Mukou ni Anata ga Iru” Production Committee, Kinoshita Group, The Asahi Shimbun Company, The Yomiuri Shimbun , The Hochi Shimbun
Film Production：Kino Films / Dragonfly

Distributor: Kino Films

Cooperation: Junko Tabei Foundation

©2025 “Teppen no Mukou ni Anata ga Iru” Production Committee