Overview

• Guinness World Records certified in August that Kokichi Akuzawa became the oldest person to reach Mount Fuji’s 3,776-metre summit at age 102.
• He reached the peak on 5 August 2025 after beginning on 3 August via the Yoshida Trail, completing the climb over three days with two nights in mountain huts.
• The ascent came months after a January fall, shingles and a hospital stay for heart failure, with a recovery his daughter said astonished his doctors.
• Preparation included hour-long morning walks and near-weekly mountain hikes to rebuild endurance before the attempt.
• He said support from companions, including a granddaughter who is a nurse, helped him persevere through altitude challenges, and he later downplayed the feat and indicated he would not do it again.