The Brief
Kokichi Akuzawa reached the top of Mount Fuji at age 102 on Aug. 5, Guinness World Records confirmed.
He climbed with family and friends, camping along the route before their final ascent.
Akuzawa previously set the same record at 96, but overcame health issues before reclaiming it this summer.
A 102-year-old man from Japan has been recognized as the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji, according to Guinness World Records and reporting from the Associated Press.
Kokichi Akuzawa reached the summit of Japan’s tallest peak, which stands at 12,388 feet (3,776 meters), on Aug. 5. He told the Associated Press that the climb nearly overwhelmed him but he pushed through with help from family and friends.
“I was really tempted to give up halfway through,” Akuzawa told the AP in a recent interview. “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.”
Who joined him on the climb?
The backstory
Akuzawa was accompanied by his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her husband and four friends from a local mountain climbing club, the AP reported. The group camped for two nights before making their ascent to the peak.
His daughter Yukiko, 75, assisted during interviews, repeating questions into his ear since he is hard of hearing.
This was not Akuzawa’s first record-setting climb of Mount Fuji. In 2018, he became the oldest person to summit at age 96. Since then, he has dealt with health issues including heart problems and shingles, as well as recovering from a fall.
Ahead of this year’s climb, Akuzawa trained for three months, waking at 5 a.m. for long walks and climbing one mountain per week near his home in central Japan, according to the AP.
Akuzawa first began climbing as a teenager and has spent nearly nine decades in the mountains. “I climb because I like it,” he told the AP. “It’s easy to make friends on the mountain.”
He previously worked as an engine design engineer and later as a livestock artificial inseminator, a job he held until age 85.
Although he once enjoyed climbing solo, Akuzawa now relies on others’ support. “Mount Fuji isn’t a difficult mountain, but this time was harder than six years ago. Harder than any mountain before,” he told the AP. “I’ve never felt this weak. … It was only thanks to everyone else’s strength that I made it.”
What’s next
Akuzawa told the AP he may not attempt Fuji again, instead focusing on smaller peaks near his hometown. These days, he volunteers at a senior care center and paints in his home studio, where he has been asked by family to paint Mount Fuji at sunrise.
“I want to paint some scenes from the summit of Mount Fuji, places that hold special memories for me, since this was likely my last time reaching the top,” he said.
The Source
This story is based on reporting from the Associated Press and Guinness World Records.
AloJapan.com