Hideyuki Sugita was exhausted as he scaled the rocky mountain pass in total darkness early one Friday late last month.
The 31-year-old former Keio University rugby standout was also overwhelmed with satisfaction — not merely because he was climbing Mount Fuji with old classmates, but more importantly because he was proving his disability would not stand in the way.
Defying heavy rain, gusty winds and freezing temperatures, he carefully trod each step with about 100 former teammates and friends making their way to the top of the 3,776-meter behemoth.