A Japanese man was heavily criticized by police after leaving his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji for several hours amid fog and rain while he continued climbing.
Local Japanese media reported on Saturday, 22 Aug 2026, that a 48-year-old Japanese man was strongly reprimanded by police after leaving his 7-year-old son on Mount Fuji for many hours so he could continue climbing, providing only soda and snacks as supplies.
Mountain hut staff found the boy at 07:30 on Thursday (20 Aug) local time, sitting on a bench near station 6 on the climbing route to the summit, at over 2,000 meters above sea level, amid foggy and rainy weather.
Officials alerted police, who located the father at station 8, which is estimated to be about a three-hour walk from where the child was left.
Reports state the father told his son to “wait here” after the boy complained of tiredness, then continued climbing with his older son. Police severely reprimanded the father when he returned to the boy’s location.
“Even if it means abandoning the climb together, leaving the child behind is unacceptable,” police said, according to Japan Today. The 48-year-old man apologized for his “impulsive” decision.
According to Japanese media, the family took the Fujinomiya route, starting from station 5, the accessible point by public transport. Guides say it takes about 5 hours to reach the summit and another 3 hours to descend.
Mount Fuji, standing 3,776 meters (12,389 feet) above sea level, is an active volcano located southwest of Tokyo. It was registered as a World Heritage site in 2013 and is one of Japan’s three “sacred mountains,” along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku.
About 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji annually, with daily limits on some routes to prevent overcrowding. Nonetheless, climbing accidents have occurred several times in recent years.
In July, a 99-year-old woman required rescue after falling and injuring her hip and back while attempting the climb.
Last year, a 27-year-old university student climbing outside the official season needed rescue twice within four days after trying to retrieve his lost cellphone.
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Source:bbc