A Japanese father has been sternly warned by police after leaving his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji for several hours while continuing his climb with another child, local media reported.

The boy was found alone on a hiking route on Thursday and was taken into police custody, a police officer in Shizuoka Prefecture said Saturday.

According to local SBS TV, the child told his father he was tired after reaching the mountain’s sixth station, which is located more than 2,000 meters above sea level. As the boy’s older brother had already gone ahead, the father reportedly told his younger son to “wait here” before continuing toward the summit with his other son.

The boy was left waiting for around eight hours with only snacks and a soft drink and no money, TV Asahi reported, citing staff at a mountain hut who alerted police after finding him alone. According to The Japan Times, officers later contacted the father, who was at the mountain’s eighth station.

Police arranged for the boy to remain in their custody until his father returned from the climb. The officers then handed the child back to him and reportedly gave the father a stern warning for leaving the young boy unattended in the mountainous environment.

The father apologized to police and acknowledged that his decision had been careless.

The incident has highlighted the risks of leaving young children unattended on Mount Fuji, where rapidly changing weather, high altitude and difficult hiking conditions can pose serious dangers to climbers.

BOB Post