Godsent Ogbebor
102-Year-Old Sets Record on Mount Fuji
Kokichi Akuzawa, a Japanese mountaineer aged 102, has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Fuji after successfully completing the climb in early August.
Akuzawa, who almost gave up midway, said the feat was made possible by the encouragement of his companions, including his daughter, granddaughter, and members of a local climbing club. The group spent two nights on the trail before making the final ascent to the 3,776-metre peak on August 5.
It was not his first encounter with the mountain. In 2019, at the age of 96, he set a similar record as the oldest climber to scale Japan’s tallest peak. Since then, he has faced health challenges, including heart issues and a fall that required stitches, but remained committed to the sport he started as a young man.
To prepare for this year’s climb, Akuzawa trained for three months, rising at dawn for long walks and climbing smaller mountains around Nagano each week.
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Despite his determination, he admitted this climb was the hardest yet. “I felt weaker than ever and wondered why I had no stamina. I had passed my limit, and it was only with the help of others that I reached the top,” he said.
Born in Maebashi, northeast of Tokyo, Akuzawa developed a lifelong love for mountaineering because of the friendships it fostered.
He worked as an engineer and later as a livestock inseminator until the age of 85, but mountains remained a constant passion. In recent years, he has leaned more on companions during climbs as age slowed him down.
Though his latest achievement has stirred questions about another attempt, Akuzawa says his days of tackling Mount Fuji may now be over. “I’d love to keep climbing forever, but I think I can’t anymore,” he admitted, saying he now limits himself to smaller peaks like Mount Akagi.
These days, he spends his mornings volunteering at a senior care centre and teaching painting at home. Surrounded by canvases of mountain ranges, he hopes to paint scenes from his last climb to Fuji’s summit, which he believes may be his final time on the iconic peak.
