LEFT OUTSIDE ALONE

Father Leaves ‘Tired’ 7-Year-Old 8,200-Feet Up Mount Fuji Alone During Hike

Police said the father expressed his remorse over the situation.

Police have reprimanded a father who left his “tired” seven-year-old son alone on Japan’s Mount Fuji for several hours while the family continued to hike. A worker spotted the boy sitting alone at a hut around 8,200 feet above sea level, which is over halfway up Japan’s tallest mountain, on Thursday and called the police. Authorities said the boy was hiking with his father and older brother, and was told to “wait here” at the hut when he became “tired” and did not want to hike any further. Japanese network TV Asahi said the boy was left with snacks, a soft drink and no money. When the father and his other son returned after five hours of hiking, police were waiting with the boy, who was unharmed and was handed back to his father. Officers warned the dad he could be held criminally liable, and he expressed remorse. Two men died last month while climbing Mount Fuji. In 2024, authorities implemented an entry fee and capped climber numbers to try to prevent overcrowding.