A 102-year-old Japanese man with a heart condition has been recognized as the oldest person to scale Mount Fuji, yet he downplayed the achievement.
Kokichi Akuzawa, born in 1923, reached Japan’s tallest peak through consistent weekly mountain hikes as training.
His accomplishment in early August earned him a Guinness World Record.
“I’m six years older than the last climb,” Akuzawa told AFP, recalling his ascent of the 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) peak at 96.
“I’ve seen the view many times; it wasn’t special,” he remarked.
“I reached the summit last time too.”
A passionate hiker, the retired livestock farmer from Gunma also volunteers at an elderly care center and teaches painting.
Preparation for Mount Fuji, an active volcano, began after he stumbled on a local mountain in January, later falling ill and hospitalized with heart failure.
His family was concerned, but Akuzawa was determined, his daughter Yukiko, 75, told AFP.
“His recovery was so swift that doctors were amazed,” Yukiko said.
To regain fitness, Akuzawa woke early for hour-long walks and weekly mountain hikes.
He stretched his Mount Fuji climb over three days, spending two nights in huts. The high altitude nearly made him quit, but with support from companions, including a nurse granddaughter, he persevered, said Yukiko.
Asked if he plans to climb Mount Fuji again, Akuzawa firmly said “no”.
