102-Year-Old Individual Breaks Record as the Most Senior Person to Ascend Mount Fuji

Climbing Mount Fuji can be a monumental challenge at any age—after all, it rises as Japan’s highest peak at 12,388 feet. Nevertheless, Kokichi Akuzawa recently surpassed expectations, becoming the oldest individual to reach the summit at an incredible 102 years of age.

Akuzawa commenced his record-setting adventure on August 3, 2025, accompanied by his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her spouse, and four friends from a nearby climbing club. The group navigated the Yoshida trail, one of the four routes on the mountain that, even though it is deemed the easiest and most frequented, still presents around 5,800 feet of vertical elevation gain. For the following two nights, Akuzawa camped along the trail, passing various huts, shops, and first-aid stations. By August 5, Akuzawa ultimately reached the summit of Mount Fuji.

“I’m amazed that I climbed so effectively,” Akuzawa stated in an interview with the Guardian. However, it was not an accomplishment he took lightly, admitting that he nearly quit midway through his journey.

“I was very close to giving up,” he said. “Reaching the top was challenging, but my friends motivated me, and it ended well. I was able to push through because so many people were there for me.”

In preparation for his hike, Akuzawa followed a strict training regimen, waking at 5 a.m. for hour-long walks, as per Guinness World Records. He would also ascend one mountain per week, usually in the Nagano prefecture of central Japan. Fortunately, this routine was familiar; he first became passionate about mountains and mountaineering 88 years ago, and in addition to climbing, he also enjoys painting them.

“People who scale mountains, people who paint; if they can create something complete along that journey, that’s the most satisfying thing,” Akuzawa expressed. “I wish to paint some views from the summit of Mount Fuji, scenes that hold cherished memories for me, since this is likely my final time reaching the top.”

This climb may have been his last, but it certainly wasn’t his initial one. Akuzawa ascended Mount Fuji at 96 years old as well, overcoming heart failure, shingles, and stitches from a climbing-related fall in the six years since then.

“Mount Fuji isn’t a tough mountain, but this time was more difficult than six years ago,” Akuzawa clarified. “I didn’t experience pain, but I kept questioning why I was so sluggish, why I lacked stamina. I had long surpassed my physical limits, and it was only due to everyone else’s strength that I succeeded.”

Akuzawa’s achievement ultimately earned him recognition from Guinness World Records. For him, that acknowledgment was more than sufficient. He even joked that he has no desire to climb Mount Fuji again—at least not in the near future.

“If you ask me next year, perhaps you’ll get a different response,” he said. “But for now, I’m satisfied with that climb.”