How 102-Year-Old Man Became World's Oldest To Climb Mt Fuji: "Never Felt This Weak, But My Friends..."

Most centenarians are content with morning walks and afternoon naps. Kokichi Akuzawa? He celebrated his 102nd year by becoming the oldest person ever to stand atop Mount Fuji. 

After wishing to almost quit halfway, it was the support of the people around him that helped Kokichi Akuzawa to summit Mount Fuji. 

"I was really tempted to give up," he admitted in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "But my friends encouraged me. I managed to get through it because so many people supported me."

On August 5, Akuzawa reached the 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) summit with his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her husband, and four fellow climbers from a local mountain club. They camped along the trail for two nights before the final push.

"I'm impressed I climbed so well," he said, communicating with the help of his 75-year-old daughter Yukiko, who repeated questions into her father's ear because he is hard of hearing. Akuzawa added that he doesn't take any mountain for granted at his age. "It's better to climb while you still can."

It wasn't the first time Akuzawa made a record. In 2019, at 96, Akuzawa became the oldest climber ever to conquer Fuji. Since then, he has battled heart trouble, shingles, and a serious fall. He trained for three months, waking at dawn for hour-long walks and scaling smaller mountains across Nagano every week for this year's attempt. 

"Mount Fuji isn't a difficult mountain, but this time was harder than six years ago. Harder than any mountain before," he said. "I've never felt this weak. I didn't have pain, but I kept wondering why I was so slow, why I had no stamina. I'd long since passed my physical limit, and it was only thanks to everyone else's strength that I made it.

At home in Maebashi, surrounded by paintings of mountain landscapes, Akuzawa reflected on a lifetime of climbing. He first set foot on a mountain 88 years ago, drawn not only to the challenge but also the camaraderie.

Once a solo climber, age has shifted his approach. "I'd love to keep climbing forever, but I guess I can't anymore. Now I'm at the level of Mount Akagi." The smaller peak, just 1,828 meters (5,997 feet), is closer to his Gunma home.

These days, Akuzawa spends mornings volunteering at a senior center and afternoons teaching painting. His daughters are urging him to capture Fuji at sunrise for his next canvas.

"I've got a lot of requests," he laughed. "I want to paint some scenes from the summit, places that hold special memories - since this was likely my last time at the top."