In brief
On the day after a weather‑subdued climb on Mount Fuji, a 48‑year‑old father left his 7‑year‑old son alone on a bench while he ascended with his elder son. The boy was discovered at the sixth station by local guides and rescued by police before his father reunited with him at the seventh station. Authorities reprimanded the father for what they deemed an unsafe decision, warning that leaving a child on a mountain trail is unacceptable. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about safety and crowd control on the popular Fuji hiking routes.
During a routine ascent on the sunny Fujinomiya trail of Japan’s highest volcano, a 48‑year‑old man told his youngest son, who was seven, to wait on a bench while he pursued the climb with his older child.
At over 2,000 meters the boy sat in the mist‑shrouded path, equipped only with a drink and a snack. Local guides at a nearby mountain hut noted his presence and alerted police, who located the boy at the sixth station in the trail.
The father was later found at the seventh station, a roughly three‑hour walk away. Police officers chastised him for his decision, stressing that abandoning a child on a volcanic mountain trail is unacceptable and unsafe.
The father apologized for the predicament he created, acknowledging that it was a rash choice. The incident occurs against a backdrop of recent Mount Fuji safety issues, including rescues of elderly climbers and a 27‑year‑old student who had to be rescued twice for a lost phone.
Mount Fuji, standing at 3,776 meters, attracts close to 200,000 hikers yearly, though the mountain operates a daily cap on some routes to avoid overcrowding. The popular peak is also one of Japan’s three “Holy Mountains” and gained World Heritage status in 2013.
