102-year-old defies age to summit Mount Fuji: ' Mount Fuji isn’t a difficult mountain, but this time was.....'

Some achievements are not just about heights; they are proof of perseverance and the human spirit. For someone who is almost a centenarian , most of their mornings involve simple routines, but not for a 102-year-old man. With unwavering determination, he prepared for the climb like a seasoned athlete, drawing from a lifetime of challenges and triumphs.

And he didn’t do it alone, but had help from family, friends, and a community built over decades. And at the end of it, instead of feeling like a hero, he carried home something simple, including gratitude, humility, and memories worth capturing on canvas.

102-year-old becomes the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

At 102 years and 51 days old, Kokichi Akuzawa made history by becoming the oldest man ever to reach Mount Fuji’s summit, and is now certified by Guinness World Records.

Akuzawa reached the 12,388-foot summit on August 5, 2025, completing the climb via the Yoshida route after a three-day trek that included two overnight stays in mountain huts, as per reports by the AP News.

The climb was a far more grueling challenge than his previous attempt six years earlier at age 96. “Mount Fuji isn’t a difficult mountain, but this time was harder than six years ago. Harder than any mountain before,” he said, adding, “I’ve never felt this weak… I'd long since passed my physical limit, and it was only thanks to everyone else's strength that I made it”, he said to the Associated Press.

His secret to reaching the summit despite his age

Physical setbacks, including heart issues, shingles, and even a fall, tested his resolve in recent years. But Akuzawa trained diligently, by waking at dawn for long walks and climbing smaller peaks weekly across Nagano prefecture to prepare.

His climb was not solitary.

Along with his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her husband, and four members of a local mountaineering club, Akuzawa went ahead. At times, near the ninth station, he thought about quitting, but encouragement from his daughter and other climbers carried him through.

As he stood atop Fuji, he said: “It was tough, and it felt a lot different from 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”, according to the Guinness World Records.

Looking ahead, Akuzawa laughed off the idea of another climb. “Never again,” he said, though he admitted maybe he’d change his mind if asked next year.

Now, back home in Maebashi, surrounded by mountain paintings, he spends his days volunteering and painting. With requests rolling in, he hopes to create a canvas of Mount Fuji at sunrise, possibly immortalizing the view from what may well have been his final summit.


Photos via Guinness World Records