- 24 Eyl, 2025
- 0 Comments
- 1 Min Read
102-Year-Old Man Becomes the Oldest Person to Climb Mount Fuji
A Japanese man, Kokichi Akuzawa, has become the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji at the age of 102. With help from his daughter and friends, he reached the top of Japan’s tallest mountain, which is 3,776 meters high.
Akuzawa is an experienced climber. He is the honorary chairman of the Gunma Mountaineering Club and has climbed mountains almost every week. For his 99th birthday in 2022, he climbed Mount Nabewariyama, a smaller peak near Tokyo. He had already climbed Mount Fuji once before at age 96. Since then, he has faced serious health problems, such as a fall, heart failure, and shingles. Still, he wanted to climb Mount Fuji one last time.
On August 3, Akuzawa started climbing the Yoshida trail, the easiest and most popular of Fuji’s four routes. Normally, this trail takes about six hours, but Akuzawa took three days, resting in huts along the way. “It was tough, and it felt very different from the last time I climbed,” he said. “I’m amazed I made it to the top.”
Before the climb, Akuzawa trained by walking one hour every morning and climbing other mountains. The weather was good, but near the summit it became very cold with less oxygen. On the third day, he wanted to stop, but his daughter Motoe, who is 70, encouraged him to continue step by step. Finally, on August 5 at 11 a.m., Akuzawa reached the summit.
“I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help. I’m happy now,” he said.
Mount Fuji, located southwest of Tokyo, is a sacred symbol of Japan and has appeared in many famous artworks, including Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. Over the years, several people have held the record as the oldest climber of Fuji. In 1986, Teiichi Igarashi summited at age 99. In 1994, Ichijiro Araya reached the top at 100 years and 258 days. Now, Akuzawa holds the record at 102 years and 51 days.
Guinness World Records gave him an official certificate. When asked if he would climb again, Akuzawa replied, “For now, I am satisfied. If you ask me next year, maybe I’ll give you a different answer.”
