Named in honor of Naomi Uemura (1941–1984), a famous explorer, born in Hidaka, Hyogo {see planet  (6879)} Prefecture. He was the first to climb the highest mountains in five continents and the first Japanese to reach the summit of Mount Everest. From 1976 to 1978 he devoted himself to exploration of the north polar regions and Greenland by dogsled. He disappeared in an attempt to reach the summit of Mount McKinley in 1984. (M 22509) _ _.