Kokichi Akuzawa, a 102-year-old Japanese man, has officially become the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak. Despite battling a serious heart condition and a recent health scare, the retired livestock farmer scaled the 3,776-metre (12,388 feet) mountain earlier this month, earning a Guinness World Record certification for his extraordinary achievement.
Akuzawa, born in 1923, spent months preparing for the climb after suffering a fall in January and later being hospitalised for shingles and heart failure. Doctors were skeptical of his recovery, but his determination surprised everyone.
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To regain strength, he adopted a strict routine hour long morning walks and weekly mountain hikes near his home in the central Gunma region all to ensure he was ready to take on Mount Fuji again.
While Akuzawa’s family feared the climb could endanger his health, his determination proved stronger than their worries. His daughter, Yukiko, 75, revealed that his doctors were astonished by his speedy recovery. “He was so committed to this challenge that even his medical team couldn’t believe how fast he regained strength,” she told AFP.
Supported by his granddaughter, a nurse, and other companions, Akuzawa carefully planned his ascent to manage the risks.
The climb was far from easy. Akuzawa stretched his expedition over three days, spending two nights in mountain huts along the way. At several points, the high altitude almost forced him to give up, but with the encouragement of his team, he pushed through to reach the summit successfully. This wasn’t Akuzawa’s first encounter with Mount Fuji; he last completed the climb six years ago at age 96.
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Despite his achievement, Akuzawa remains remarkably modest. Speaking to AFP, he downplayed the accomplishment, saying, “I have been there and seen the view many times; it wasn’t anything special.”
He emphasized that his goal was personal rather than symbolic, suggesting that his love for hiking not the record drove him to attempt the climb once again.
When asked if he planned to challenge Mount Fuji again, Akuzawa responded with a firm “no.” Instead, he intends to focus on his passions, teaching painting and volunteering at an elderly care center while cherishing the memory of his historic climb.
