General News

90-Year-Old Adventurer Yuichiro Miura Reaches Summit of Mt. Fuji in Wheelchair

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:31 JST, August 31, 2023

MT. FUJI — Yuichiro Miura, a 90-year-old professional skier and adventurer, reached the summit of Mt. Fuji on Thursday morning, aided by a special wheelchair for mountain climbing.

Miura is unable to walk long distances on his own due to lingering numbness in his limbs caused by an illness. He used the wheelchair to reach the top of the 3,776-meter mountain, with support from his ski school staff and family members.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Yuichiro Miura, center, walks with sticks in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Wednesday, the second day of his ascent toward the summit of Mt. Fuji.

Miura and his team of about 40 climbers left the Fujinomiya trail’s fifth station in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, and stayed overnight at the seventh and ninth stations.

Miura and his supporters reached the summit at around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday.

“No matter how many times I climb [Mt. Fuji], I’m always impressed,” Miura said. “I’ll never forget this wonderful scenery I saw with my grandchildren and friends.”