Man slammed after abandoning seven-year-old son on 1,981-metre mountain to continue hike

A father in Japan has faced intense criticism after leaving his seven-year-old son alone for eight hours on Mount Fuji while continuing his trek to the summit with his older son.

According to the BBC, the boy was found sitting alone on a bench in rainy and foggy conditions near the mountain’s sixth station, more than 6,500 feet above sea level.

Japanese media reported that the 48-year-old father told the boy to wait behind after the child complained of exhaustion. He then continued towards the summit with his older son.

Mountain hut personnel later found the child and alerted emergency services.

Police eventually located the father between the seventh and eighth stations, roughly a three-hour hike from where the boy had been left.

By the time officers reunited the family, the child had been unattended for about eight hours and was visibly distressed.

Police sternly reprimanded the father, telling him that leaving a child alone on the mountain was unacceptable and that he should have abandoned the hike rather than leave his son behind.

The father apologised and acknowledged that his decision had been reckless.

The incident occurred along the popular Fujinomiya Trail. The route begins at the fifth station, which is accessible by public transport, and typically takes about five hours to ascend and three hours to descend.

Standing at 12,389 feet, Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain and an active volcano. The UNESCO World Heritage site attracts about 200,000 visitors annually and has been the scene of several rescue operations in recent years.

These have included the rescue of a 99-year-old climber who suffered a hip injury and a student who was rescued twice within four days after returning to the mountain to search for a lost phone.

The incident has also sparked debate online, with social media users questioning the father’s decision.

On X, one user wrote: “Who would do this? I really don’t understand how climbing a mountain is more important than your child’s safety.”