Father abandons tired 7-year-old son on Mount Fuji
A father was reprimanded by Japanese police after leaving his seven-year-old son alone for eight hours on Mount Fuji while he continued climbing with his older son. The child was found by mountain hut staff and placed in police custody until the father returned.
Why it matters
The incident raises questions about child safety and parental responsibility in extreme outdoor environments, drawing attention to the risks associated with high-altitude hiking.
Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji, stands at 3,776 metres.
Listen TOKYO - A man left his seven-year-old son behind for hours on Japan’s Mount Fuji while continuing the climb, resulting in a stern warning from the authorities, police and local media reported.
The boy was found alone on a hiking route on Aug 20 and taken into police custody, a local police officer in the Shizuoka region told AFP on Aug 22.
The child told his father he was tired at the sixth station of the mountain, which is located at an altitude of more than 2,000 metres, local SBS TV reported.
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