102-Year-Old Man Climbs Mount Fuji!

Climbing Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is no easy feat at any age. But a 102-year-old Japanese man recently scaled the peak, becoming the oldest person ever to climb the mountain!

Kokichi Akuzawa is an experienced climber who stays active by climbing mountains almost weekly, and he took daily morning walks to get himself ready for his Mount Fuji hike. He previously scaled Mount Fuji—at the young age of 96. Akuzawa has dealt with several health issues since in the last few years, but he decided he wanted to climb Mount Fuji one more time.

There are four routes to climb Mount Fuji, and Akuzawa chose to take the Yoshida trail. It is the mountain’s most popular route, and there are mountainside huts, shops, and first-aid stations along the way. The hike takes the average climber six hours, but Akuzawa took the slow and steady approach.

He climbed the trail over three days with the help of his friends and daughter, and he spent two nights on the trail. Akuzawa said he was tempted to give up on the third day, but his 70-year-old daughter encouraged him to keep climbing. He credited the support of others with helping him to achieve his goal.

“It was tough, and it felt a lot different to the last time I climbed it,” said Akuzawa in a statement from the Guiness World Records. “I’m amazed that I made it to the top.”

Akuzawa was awarded a Guinness World Records certificate, and he plans to let his record-setting climb be his last trip up Mount Fuji.

“If you ask me next year, maybe you’ll get a different answer,” said Akuzawa. “But for now, I’m happy with that climb.”

Mount Fuji is an iconic symbol around the world. It stands outside of Tokyo and measures 12,388 feet tall. Though it hasn’t erupted in more than 300 years, it is still considered an active volcano. Congratulations to Kokichi Akuzawa!