Kokichi Akuzawa, a 102-year-old Japanese man, has become the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji, breaking his own record set six years ago at age 96. He made the ascent on 5 August with his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her husband, and four friends from a climbing club, and his achievement has been recognised by Guinness World Records.
Akuzawa admitted he almost gave up during the trek. '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. I managed to get through it because so many people supported me.' The group camped for two nights before ascending Japan's tallest mountain, which stands at 3,776 metres.
In the six years since his first record, Akuzawa has overcome heart issues, shingles, and stitches from a climbing fall. He trained for three months before the climb, waking at 5am for hour-long walks and tackling roughly one mountain each week in central Japan's Nagano prefecture. Despite his age, he said, 'It's better to climb while you still can.'
Akuzawa, a former engine design engineer and livestock artificial inseminator who worked until 85, began mountain climbing 88 years ago. He said he climbs because he enjoys it and finds it easy to make friends on the mountain. 'Intelligence didn't matter up there. We were all on an equal footing and moved forward together,' he added.
After this climb, Akuzawa acknowledged his physical limits. 'Mount Fuji isn't a difficult mountain, but this time was harder than six years ago. Harder than any mountain before,' he said. 'I'd love to keep climbing for ever, but I guess I can't any more. Now I'm at the level of Mount Akagi,' a nearby summit half the height of Fuji.
Akuzawa now spends his mornings volunteering at a senior care centre and teaching painting. His daughters want him to paint Mount Fuji at sunrise, and he plans to create scenes from the summit that hold special memories, as he believes this was probably his last time reaching the top.
