Fujinomiya, Japan, 22 August (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Japanese police have strongly warned a father after his seven-year-old son was left alone on Mount Fuji while he continued climbing with the boy’s older brother. The Mount Fuji child incident ended safely after mountain hut staff found the child and contacted the authorities.
Seven-year-old left alone at Mount Fuji sixth station
The incident happened on Thursday, 20 August, on the Fujinomiya Trail on the Shizuoka Prefecture side of Japan’s highest mountain.
According to Japanese media reports, the 48-year-old father, from Nagoya, was climbing with his seven-year-old son and the boy’s older brother, who is a junior high school student.
The family reached the sixth station, at an altitude of about 2,500 metres, after beginning their climb earlier that morning.
The younger child became tired and was unable to continue. Instead of ending the climb, the father reportedly told the seven-year-old to remain at the sixth station while he and his older son continued towards the summit.
Mountain hut staff later noticed the boy sitting alone on a bench. The child reportedly told workers that his father had instructed him to wait there for eight hours.
Concerned for his safety, a member of staff contacted police at around 7.40am. Officers took the boy into protective care. He was not reported to have suffered any injuries.
Police order father to turn back
Police contacted the father after he had continued considerably further up Mount Fuji.
By that point, he had reportedly reached the area around the mountain’s eighth station with his older son.
Officers instructed him to abandon the climb and return immediately to the sixth station.
The father eventually came back down and was reunited with the seven-year-old several hours after leaving him.
Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi reported that police strongly cautioned the man over his decision.
Officers reportedly explained that leaving a young child alone in such circumstances could potentially raise legal concerns and stressed that mountain huts were not facilities where parents could leave children while continuing a climb.
The father was reported to have expressed remorse over his actions.
Police issue warning after Mount Fuji child incident
Shizuoka Prefectural Police used the case to remind climbers about the importance of keeping groups together.
Police advice reported by Japanese media urged groups to climb at the pace of the person with the lowest level of physical strength rather than allowing members to become separated.
The guidance is particularly important on Mount Fuji, where weather and temperatures can change quickly as climbers gain altitude.
The Fujinomiya Trail is one of the main routes to the 3,776-metre summit and is the shortest of the four principal climbing routes. However, its relatively short distance also means the trail becomes steep as it approaches the summit.
Official Mount Fuji guidance estimates that climbing the Fujinomiya route takes about five hours, with the descent taking approximately three hours, excluding rest periods.
Why leaving a child on the mountain raised concern
Although the seven-year-old was found unharmed, the circumstances created potentially serious safety concerns.
A young child left without an accompanying adult at high altitude could be vulnerable if weather conditions deteriorated, temperatures fell or the child attempted to leave the area in search of family members.
Official guidance for Mount Fuji repeatedly advises visitors to prepare carefully for changing mountain conditions and to choose climbing plans appropriate to their fitness and experience.
The Mount Fuji child incident has also highlighted the responsibilities facing adults who take young children on demanding mountain routes.
When one member of a group cannot safely continue, police advice indicates that the group’s plans should be adjusted rather than leaving that person behind.
What happens next?
Police allowed the boy to return to his father after the man descended from the mountain.
Japanese reports available following the incident did not indicate that criminal charges had been filed against the father.
Authorities have instead used the case to reinforce safety advice for families and other groups climbing Mount Fuji, particularly the need to remain together and plan a climb around the abilities of the least experienced member.
The Fujinomiya Trail’s official 2026 climbing season is scheduled to continue until 10 September, subject to weather and mountain conditions.
