The incident happened early Thursday on the Fujinomiya Trail, when the 48-year-old father was hiking with his two sons, including the first-grade boy from Nagoya and his older son, a first-year middle school student, ET reported.
At around the sixth station, approximately 2,490 meters above sea level, the younger boy reportedly said he was tired. His father then told him to wait and continued toward the summit with his older son.
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The boy was later found sitting alone on a bench by a mountain hut worker at around 7:40 a.m. Rain was falling and fog was beginning to develop at the time.
The worker brought the child inside for shelter and contacted police.
Officers subsequently located the father near the eighth station and instructed him to stop the climb and return for his younger son.
The exact amount of time the child spent alone has not been established. Based on estimated hiking times, however, the father may have left him at around 4:30 a.m.
The journey from the sixth to the eighth station can take roughly three hours, while reaching the summit from the sixth station can take more than five hours.
The boy was unharmed and was eventually reunited with his father.
The father reportedly apologized to police, saying: “I made a rash decision, and I deeply regret it.”
The incident has sparked criticism on Japanese social media, with users questioning the decision to leave a young child alone on the mountain.
Authorities have urged hikers to consider the abilities of every member of their group when planning mountain trips, emphasizing that the pace and route should be determined by the person with the lowest stamina rather than leaving someone behind.
The incident also highlights the unpredictable conditions on Mount Fuji, where rain and fog can develop rapidly and make visibility and hiking conditions more difficult.
