Mount Fuji: Father leaves seven-year-old son alone during ascent

A 48-year-old man was reprimanded by Japanese police after leaving his seven-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji during a family hike. The incident occurred on the Fujinomiya route at an altitude of approximately 2,000 to 2,500 meters.

According to reports, the child expressed exhaustion and requested to stop. The father reportedly instructed the boy to wait at the sixth station for approximately eight hours while he continued the ascent with his older son, aged 13. The child was left with only some snacks and a beverage.

Mountain hut staff discovered the boy sitting alone on a bench in rainy and foggy conditions and alerted authorities. Police located the father several hours later between the seventh and eighth stations. The boy was reunited with his father after waiting for roughly eight hours; he was found to be exhausted but uninjured. The father described his actions as an ‘unwise’ decision and expressed regret. Authorities stated that leaving a child behind is ‘unacceptable,’ regardless of whether it means abandoning the climb.