- A 48-year-old father from Nagoya was reprimanded by police after continuing a climb toward the summit with his older child.
- The father was climbing Mount Fuji’s Fujinomiya Trail on Aug. 20 with his two sons, ages 7 and about 12 or 13.
- The younger boy became tired around the sixth station, roughly 2,500 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level.
- The father told the child to ‘wait here’ and continued climbing with the older son.
- A mountain hut worker found the 7-year-old sitting alone on a bench around 7:40 a.m., brought him inside and contacted police.
- By the time police reached the father, he had already climbed near the eighth station.
- Police ordered him to return for his son.
- The family was finally reunited around noon, more than five hours after the mountain hut worker first noticed the boy alone.
- Police reprimanded the father, telling him that leaving a child behind was unacceptable even if it meant abandoning the climb.
- The father reportedly told police, ‘I made a rash decision, and I deeply regret it.’
- The climb from the sixth station to the summit and back takes about 7.5 hours, meaning the father apparently expected the 7-year-old to remain there alone for hours.
- Rain was falling and fog was developing when the child was found, raising concerns because conditions on Mount Fuji can change quickly.
- The child appeared tired and explained that his father had gone on ahead; he reportedly had only some snacks and a soft drink with him and did not have any money.
- Authorities had not indicated whether the father would face formal charges or penalties.
- Police urged hikers to plan around the person with the least stamina in their group and to make sure no one becomes separated.
A 48-year-old father from Nagoya, Japan, faced police reprimand after leaving his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji while he continued climbing with his older son. The incident occurred on August 20, when the boy expressed fatigue near the sixth station, approximately 2,500 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level.1
The father instructed the child to “wait here” and proceeded to climb with his older son, expecting the boy to remain alone for around eight hours. Reports suggest he may have left the child around 4:30 a.m., and the boy was found by a mountain hut worker at 7:40 a.m., sitting alone on a bench.5
The child, who had only snacks and a soft drink, was brought to safety as rain and fog developed, raising concerns about the quickly changing conditions on the mountain. Police located the father near the eighth station and ordered him to return to his son, who was unharmed but had been alone for over five hours.6
The father expressed remorse, stating, “I made a rash decision, and I deeply regret it.” Authorities emphasized that leaving a child behind is unacceptable, and police warned that his actions could potentially violate the law. They urged hikers to plan their pace around the least experienced member of the group to prevent such incidents in the future.
“The boy was found around 7:40 a.m. with only snacks and a soft drink, no money, as rain and fog moved in. Police warned the father his actions could violate the law, noting a mountain hut is not a daycare center.”
KATU
