When most people his age are content with quiet days and gentle routines, Kokichi Akuzawa set his sights on the clouds. At 102, the Japanese mountaineer has etched his name in history as the oldest person ever to summit Mount Fuji, Japan’s sacred 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) peak. His climb on August 5, 2025, not only earned him a Guinness World Record but also reaffirmed his indomitable spirit.
A Grueling Journey with Family by His Side
This was not Akuzawa’s first triumph on Fuji. He had previously captured the record at 96, but this latest ascent tested him like never before. Accompanied by his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her husband, and four friends from a local climbing club, the team camped two nights on the trail before pushing to the summit.
The journey was grueling. “I was really tempted to give up halfway through,” Akuzawa admitted. “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.”
Despite battling heart problems, shingles, and a prior injury, Akuzawa trained rigorously for three months — rising early for walks and climbing smaller peaks every week. Yet doubts lingered. “I’ve never felt this weak,” he reflected. “I didn’t have pain, but I kept wondering why I was so slow, why I had no stamina.”
More Than a Climb — A Testament to Spirit
For Akuzawa, Fuji is more than a mountain; it’s a canvas for perseverance. “Mount Fuji isn’t a difficult mountain, but this time was harder than six years ago. Harder than any mountain before,” he told the Associated Press. Still, reaching the summit at 102 became a metaphor for resilience and the power of companionship.
A Record with Meaning
Mount Fuji welcomes over 220,000 climbers every year, but few embody the mountain’s spirit as deeply as Akuzawa. “People who climb mountains, people who paint — if they can create something whole on that path, that’s the most fulfilling thing,” he said.
Having surpassed his own record, Akuzawa’s story is now a beacon for dreamers of all ages. “I’d long since passed my physical limit, and it was only thanks to everyone else’s strength that I made it,” he said. His victory reminds us that with grit, preparation, and the support of loved ones, even the steepest paths can be conquered.