Swiss Tourist Dies and 99-Year-Old Japanese Woman Rescued on Mount Fuji

On July 21, 58‑year‑old Bernhard Sutter, a Swiss national and director of the assisted‑dying organization EXIT, died after losing consciousness while climbing Japan’s Mount Fuji. He was revived by rescue teams, taken to a hospital, but did not survive. His death marks the second fatality in the climbing season that began on July 1, following a 65‑year‑old Japanese climber who died in a July 17 accident.

The same day, 99‑year‑old Japanese climber Tome Sagawa suffered an injury, spent the night in a mountain hut, and was safely escorted down by rescue personnel the following morning. Authorities reminded hikers to consider weather and personal health, and have introduced new safety measures including daily limits on the Yoshida route, entrance fees, and stricter warnings about physical condition and equipment.

Mount Fuji, 3,776 m tall, receives roughly 200,000 visitors each year. Recent incidents have prompted local officials in Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures to tighten access rules to reduce accidents and manage the growing tourist flow.