102-year-old man conquers Japan's highest peak in record-breaking climb

A 102-year-old Japanese man has set a new record by becoming the oldest to summit Mount Fuji.

Kokichi Akuzawa began his ascent on Aug. 5 along with his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter and her husband and friends, according to The Associated Press.

Akuzawa told AP he's impressed that he climbed so well, sharing that it's better to climb while he still can.

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"I was really tempted to give up halfway through," he said. "Reaching the summit was tough, but my friends encouraged me, and it turned out well. I managed to get through it because so many people supported me."

The 12,388-foot-high mountain is the highest in Japan and was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013. 

Akuzawa overcame heart issues, shingles and a climbing injury. Three months before the summit, he began training by waking early for long walks and climbing one mountain each week, according to AP.

This is not the first time Akuzawa has set the record. He climbed the mountain when he was 96.

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"Mount Fuji isn't a difficult mountain, but this time was harder than six years ago. Harder than any mountain before," Akuzawa said. 

The mountain used to be a place of pilgrimage and is now increasingly popular among hikers. 

In 2023, more than 220,000 people climbed the mountain between July and September, according to the BBC.

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"I've never felt this weak. I didn't have pain, but I kept wondering why I was so slow, why I had no stamina," Akuzawa added. "I'd long since passed my physical limit, and it was only thanks to everyone else's strength that I made it."

The mountain's hiking trails are officially open only from July to early September, although there is no penalty for hiking off-season.

"People who climb mountains, people who paint - if they can create something whole on that path, that's the most fulfilling thing," Akuzawa said.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report.