Reaching the top with the help of friends
Doctors tell us to keep moving as we age—walk, stretch, stay active. At 102, Kokichi Akuzawa has taken that advice to the absolute limit, becoming the oldest person to climb Japan’s Mount Fuji. Incredibly, it’s not even his first record. He first claimed the title at 96 and came back to do it again six years later.
What makes his story even more inspiring to me is that he didn’t credit sheer grit alone. When the climb got tough, it was his family and friends who gave him the strength to keep going. “I managed to get through it because so many people supported me,” he said.
Kokichi's experience is a reminder to us that reaching the top may be our goal, but it’s the relationships we have and the friends we make along the way that make it possible.
Read more about Kokichi’s future climbing plans and the paintings his adventures have inspired in this Guardian article:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/05/japanese-man-becomes-oldes...
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Evangel
Amazing man and story! There is so much truth to this idea. Our tribe can act as a collective power broker. When we make a wish, they can help us fulfill it. When we make a pledge to accomplish or overcome something challenging, they can hold our feet to the fire as Kokichi's family and friends did. And when we are in doubt, our tribe can be our collective wisdom and point us in the right direction through Tribal Wave. It's near impossible to do anything singlehandedly even if it appears we did. In the background, there are always those who help, encourage, and applaud each step taken toward our goal.
To all my tribe members here on Youtropolis, thank you for making my own journey uphill not only possible but fun.
Slipstream
I agree. That's why when I read the story, I knew he was a Power Broker. He had people joining and encouraging him, and he took that power and achieved something unbelievable—twice! Thanks for your kind comment 🌞