Boy abandoned hiking Mt. Fuji
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
A 48-year-old father left his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji and was reprimanded by police.
The case highlights the dangers of leaving children unattended on active volcanoes.
Background
On August 20, 2026, a father from Nagoya, Japan, was hiking Mount Fuji's Fujinomiya Trail with his two sons. When the 7-year-old became tired, the father told him to wait on a bench near the sixth station and continued climbing with the older brother. A mountain hut worker found the boy alone around 7:40 a.m. and contacted police, who located the father at the eighth station and ordered him to return. The father was reprimanded for leaving the child unattended on an active volcano.
How it unfolded
- Aug 20, 2026Father and sons start hiking Mount Fuji's Fujinomiya Trail; the 7-year-old becomes tired and is left alone near the sixth station.
- Aug 20, 2026 07:40A mountain hut worker finds the boy alone on a bench and contacts police.
- Aug 20, 2026Police contact the father at the eighth station, order him to return, and later reprimand him.
Who’s saying what
- Police
- Officers said: 'Even if it means having to give up on climbing the mountain together, leaving a child behind is unacceptable.'
- Father
- The father expressed remorse, saying: 'I made a rash decision, and I deeply regret it.'
Still unverified
The exact duration the boy was left alone is not confirmed; estimates range from a few hours to over five hours.