Japanese man beats his own record as oldest person to summit Mount Fuji, at 102, after heart failure

A 102-year-old man has become the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji, according to Guinness World Records. Kokichi Akuzawa climbed his country’s tallest peak, reaching the summit at 12,388 feet, on Aug. 5. In doing so he surpassed the previous record, which he set himself when he summited Mount Fuji at the age of 96.

Akuzawa used the Yoshida route, which has an elevation gain of approximately 4,922 feet and typically takes experienced mountaineers around six hours to complete. 

Given his age, he spread the climb across three days and two nights. Preparing for the ascent was no easy feat for the centenarian, who survived a fall, a case of shingles and was hospitalized with heart failure earlier in the year.

Despite the health challenges, Akuzawa, who’s the honorary chairman of a mountaineering club in Japan, reportedly got up early every morning for an hour-long walk and climbed a lesser mountain on a near-weekly basis as part of his training regimen.

According to Guinness World Records, although the weather on his ascent was relatively favorable, Akuzawa still had to endure high winds, low temperatures and a drop in oxygen pressure associated with the high altitude, all of which prove challenging even for young people climbing the peak.

During the trek to the top of Japan’s highest mounting, Akuzawa reportedly considered giving up, but he was encouraged to keep going by his 70-year-old daughter Motoe. 

After receiving the official Guinness World Records certificate, Akuzawa told the organization: “It was tough, and it felt a lot different to the last time I climbed it. I’m amazed that I made it to the top. I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help. I’m feeling pleased now.”

When asked if he would consider climbing the famous mountain again, Akuzawa jokingly said: “Never again,” according to Guinness World Records. But he suggested he could change his mind.

Speaking later with the French news agency AFP, Akuzawa was humble about his achievement.

“I have been there and seen the view many times, it wasn’t anything special,” he said. “I reached the summit last time too.”