MAN AGE 102-YEAR BREAKS RECORD FOR OLDEST PERSON TO HIKE MOUNT FUJI
At 12,388 feet, Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan; thus, climbing it can be a daunting undertaking for anyone, regardless of age. In spite of everything, Kokichi Akuzawa recently shocked everyone by becoming the oldest person to ever reach the summit at 102 years old.
Along with his 70-year-old daughter, Motoe, his granddaughter, her husband, and four of his pals from a local climbing club, Akuzawa set out on his record-breaking adventure on August 3, 2025. The group hiked across the Yoshida trail, one of the four routes on the mountain that offers roughly 5,800 feet of vertical elevation increase, even though it is thought to be the simplest and most well-travelled. Akuzawa spent the following two nights camping adjacent to the trail, passing by its numerous shelters, stores, and first-aid facilities. Akuzawa eventually arrived at the summit of Mount Fuji on August 5.
In an interview with the Guardian, Akuzawa said, "I'm impressed I climbed so successfully." However, he claimed that he almost gave up midway through his journey, so it wasn't an accomplishment he took lightly.
He said, "I was extremely tempted to give up." It was difficult to reach the summit, but with the support of my buddies, everything worked out fine. Thanks to the assistance of so many people, I was able to get through it.
According to Guinness World Records, Akuzawa kept up a strict training regimen in order to be ready for his journey, getting up at five in the morning to go on hour-long walks. Additionally, he would climb one mountain every week, usually in the central Japanese prefecture of Nagano. Fortunately, the routine was well-known to him; he was originally attracted to mountains and mountaineering 88 years ago, and he enjoys painting them in addition to climbing them.
“People who climb mountains, people who paint; if they can make something entire on that journey, it’s the most rewarding thing,” Akuzawa remarked. "Since this was most likely my final trip climbing Mount Fuji, I would like to paint several scenes from the summit, locations that have significant meaning for me."
This ascent might have been his last, but it surely wasn’t his first. In the six years afterwards, Akuzawa has overcome heart problems, shingles, and stitches from a fall related to mountaineering to ascend Mount Fuji at the age of 96.
Akuzawa clarified, "This time was harder than six years ago, but Mount Fuji isn't a challenging peak." Even though I wasn't in pain, I couldn't stop wondering why I was moving so slowly and why I lacked endurance. I only made it because of everyone else's strength, because I had long since reached my physical limit.
In the end, Akuzawa received a Guinness World Records award for his achievement. That acknowledgement was more than plenty for him. In fact, he made a joke about not wanting to climb Mount Fuji again, at least not anytime soon.