A 48-year-old father faced police reprimand after abandoning his seven-year-old son on Mount Fuji, according to local media reports. The child was discovered sitting unattended on a bench at an elevation exceeding 2,000 meters during foggy and rainy weather conditions. Staff members working at a mountain hut located near the sixth station of a hiking route spotted the boy and contacted authorities.
The father had reportedly instructed his son to remain at the location after the child expressed fatigue, then proceeded up the mountain with his older son. Police subsequently tracked down the father at the eighth station of the route, approximately three hours of hiking away from where his younger son had been left. The boy was found alone at 07:30 local time on Thursday.
When reunited with his son, the father received a formal reprimand from police officers. According to Japan Today, one officer stated that leaving a child behind was unacceptable regardless of circumstances, even if it meant abandoning the climb entirely. The father reportedly acknowledged his decision was rash and apologized for his actions.
The family had been attempting the Fujinomiya route, which begins at the fifth station and is accessible by public transport. Climbing guides indicate the route typically requires approximately five hours to reach the peak and an additional three hours for descent. Mount Fuji, standing at 3,776 meters and located southwest of Tokyo, attracts roughly 200,000 climbers annually and has experienced several notable incidents in recent times.
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