A father was reprimanded by police after leaving his young son unattended on Japan’s highest mountain for several hours, providing only a soft drink and a snack, according to local media reports.
The seven‑year‑old was found sitting on a bench on Mount Fuji amid foggy and rainy weather, at an elevation exceeding 2,000 m (6,500 ft).
His 48‑year‑old father allegedly instructed the boy to “wait here” after the child complained of fatigue, then proceeded with the climb alongside his older son.
Staff at a mountain hut located the child near the sixth station of the trail leading to the summit and notified police. The father was later traced to the eighth station, approximately a three‑hour hike from where the boy was found.
The child was discovered alone at 07:30 local time on Thursday (22:30 GMT), authorities reported.
Officers reprimanded the father when he returned from the higher station and reunited with his son.
“Even if it means having to abandon the climb together, leaving a child behind is unacceptable,” an officer reportedly told him, citing Japan Today. The father apologized for the “rash” decision.
The family was reportedly hiking the Fujinomiya route, which begins at the fifth station—a location accessible by public transport.
From the fifth station, guides estimate, it takes roughly five hours to reach the summit and an additional three hours to descend.
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