Father abandons 7-year-old son on Mount Fuji to continue climb

Japanese media are reporting an unusual incident on Mount Fuji, the country's highest peak, where a father was reprimanded by police after abandoning his 7-year-old son mid-climb in rain and fog. The mountain is notorious for its rapidly deteriorating weather conditions.

The incident occurred last Thursday. A 48-year-old man from Nagoya was attempting to climb the 3,776-meter peak with his two sons, aged 7 and 12-13. They were taking the "Fujinomiya route." Near the sixth station (approximately 2,490 meters), the 7-year-old became distressed and complained of exhaustion. Instead of assisting his son or abandoning the climb, the father reportedly told him to "wait here," gave him snacks and a drink, and proceeded toward the summit with his older son.

Around 07:30, a mountain station worker found the boy sitting alone on a bench as rain fell and fog began to roll in. The worker brought the child inside and contacted the police, who reached the father via phone while he was at the eighth station (3,250 meters) and ordered him to descend immediately.

Estimates suggest that had the worker not intervened, the child might have been left alone for over seven and a half hours. Upon reuniting with his son, the father was scolded by officers who told him, "Leaving a child behind is unacceptable." The father apologized, stating, "I made a reckless decision, and I deeply regret it."

Local police have urged climbers to prioritize the safety of their group and adapt their pace to the weakest member. Mount Fuji's popularity often leads to safety issues; just last month, a 99-year-old woman was rescued after a fall, and last year, a 27-year-old man required rescue twice in four days after returning to the mountain to search for a lost phone.