Kokichi Akuzawa, a 102-year-old Japanese man, has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Fuji. He completed the climb on 5 August, accompanied by his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter and her husband, and four friends from a climbing club. It was the second time he had set the record, having first achieved the feat at the age of 96.
Mount Fuji, Japan's tallest mountain at 3,776 metres, posed a considerable challenge for Akuzawa, who admitted he nearly gave up during the ascent. "I was really tempted to give up halfway through," he said. "Reaching the summit was tough, but my friends encouraged me, and it turned out well." The group camped for two nights before making their final push to the top.
In the six years since his previous record, Akuzawa has overcome heart issues, shingles and stitches from a climbing fall. He spent three months training for the climb, waking at 5am for hour-long walks and tackling about one mountain per week, mostly in the Nagano prefecture of central Japan. His home is in Maebashi, roughly 150 miles north-west of Tokyo.
Akuzawa, who worked as an engine design engineer and later as a livestock artificial inseminator until the age of 85, has been climbing for 88 years. He said he was drawn to mountains by the friendships formed along the way. "I climb because I like it," he said. "It's easy to make friends on the mountain." Although he used to enjoy climbing solo, he now relies more on others, noting that this year's ascent was harder than any previous climb: "I'd long since passed my physical limit, and it was only thanks to everyone else's strength that I made it."
Nowadays, Akuzawa spends his mornings volunteering at a senior care centre and teaching painting at his home studio. His daughters have suggested he paint Mount Fuji at sunrise, a request he is keen to fulfil. "I want to paint some scenes from the summit of Mount Fuji, places that hold special memories for me, since this was probably my last time reaching the top," he said.
