Father abandons 7-year-old son on Mount Fuji after child cries from exhaustion

A Japanese father left his seven-year-old son alone at an altitude of about 2,490 metres on Mount Fuji on Thursday after the child complained of tiredness, continuing his climb to the summit with a friend.

The boy, a first-grader from Nagoya, was discovered by staff at a mountain hut on the Fujinomiya route around 7.30am and reported to police. He was unharmed.

Police said the father told the boy to "wait there" before proceeding with his companion. Officers later contacted the father, gave him a warning and returned the child to him.

The incident sparked criticism on Japanese social media, with users condemning the father's lack of safety awareness and irresponsibility. Police urged mountaineering groups to always base their pace on the weakest member and maintain communication.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓