Father Leaves 7-Year-Old Son Alone on Mount Fuji, Media Reports
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Father has been reprimanded by police after leaving his son on Japan’s highest mountain for several hours with just a soft drink and snack, local media report.
A father, 48, left his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji – Japan’s highest mountain – for several hours, according to reports. The boy was spotted sitting on a bench in foggy and rainy conditions, at a point over 2,000 meters (6,500 feet).
His father reportedly told him to "wait here" after the boy complained he was tired, and continued the climb with his elder son. Staff at a mountain hut found the child near the sixth station of a hiking route towards the summit and alerted police. His father was tracked down at the route’s eighth station – said to be a three-hour hike away.
According to reports, the boy was found alone at 07:30 local time on Thursday (22:30 GMT). Officers castigated his father when he returned from the higher station and reunited with his son.
"Even if it means having to give up on climbing the mountain together, leaving a child behind is unacceptable," one officer told him, as per Japan Today. He is said to have apologized for the "rash" decision.
The family was reported to have been on the Fujinomiya route, which starts from the fifth station on the mountain, a spot which is accessible by public transport. From there, it takes around five hours to reach the peak and a further three hours to get down, climbing guides suggest.
Mount Fuji, an active volcano located south-west of Tokyo, was granted World Heritage status in 2013. It is also one of three traditional "Holy Mountains" together with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. Around 200,000 people climb it each year, but there are daily caps on some routes to avoid overcrowding.
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