23.08.2026 09:40
A 48-year-old father climbing Mount Fuji in Japan with his two sons continued on with his older son after telling his 7-year-old, who said he was tired, "Wait here." Left alone above 2,000 meters in foggy and rainy weather, the child was found by mountain hut staff. The father was reached at about a 3-hour walk away; the young child waited about 8 hours until his father returned.
The incident at Mount Fuji, one of Japan's symbols, has drawn criticism. A 48-year-old father, who was climbing with his two sons, told his 7-year-old child, who said he was tired, "Wait here" and continued on with his older son. The young child, left alone above 2,000 meters in fog and rain, was found hours later by mountain hut staff.
LEFT ON A BENCH WHEN TIRED
The incident occurred on Fuji, Japan's highest mountain. The 48-year-old father began climbing toward the summit with his two sons via the Fujinomiya trail.
During the climb, when the 7-year-old child said he was tired, the father decided to have him wait on a bench instead of taking him along. According to reports, the man told his son, "Wait here," and continued walking toward the summit with his older son.
LEFT ALONE ABOVE 2,000 METERS
The young child was left alone at a point higher than 2,000 meters in foggy and rainy weather conditions. It was reported that he had only a soft drink and some snacks with him.
On Thursday at around 7:30 a.m. local time, mountain hut staff noticed the child near the sixth station of the trail leading to the summit and reported the situation to the police.
FATHER FOUND A 3-HOUR WALK AWAY
Upon the report, police teams began searching for the child's father. The investigation revealed that the 48-year-old man was located between the seventh and eighth stations.
It was stated that the point the father had reached was about a 3-hour walk from where he had left his 7-year-old son. The man then returned and reunited with his son.
CHILD WAITED ABOUT 8 HOURS
According to information in the local press, the young child waited about 8 hours until his father returned. After the long wait, the child was reported to be "tired and cranky."
Following the incident, the police strongly criticized the father. According to Japan Today, an official said, "Leaving a child behind is unacceptable, even if it means giving up climbing the mountain together."
It was noted that the father apologized for his "hasty" decision.
THEY WERE CLIMBING TO THE SUMMIT VIA THE FUJINOMIYA TRAIL
It was reported that the father and his two sons used the Fujinomiya trail, a well-known route on Mount Fuji. The route starts from the fifth station, which is accessible by public transportation. According to climbing guides, the ascent from there to the summit takes about 5 hours, and the descent about 3 hours.
SAFETY MEASURES ON MOUNT FUJI
Various climbing accidents have occurred on Mount Fuji, which is 3,776 meters high. In July, a 99-year-old woman fell on the same trail, injuring her hip and back, and was rescued by teams.
Last year, a 27-year-old university student, after climbing the mountain outside the official climbing season, returned to the area to look for his lost mobile phone and had to be rescued twice within four days.
About 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji each year, which is located southwest of Tokyo and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. To reduce extreme congestion and safety risks, daily visitor limits are implemented on some trails.