A father has been reprimanded by police after reportedly leaving his seven-year-old son alone on Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji, for several hours. The boy was found by staff at a mountain hut near the sixth station of a hiking route, sitting on a bench in foggy and rainy conditions at over 2,000m (6,500ft) with only a soft drink and a snack.
According to local media reports, the 48-year-old father told his son to "wait here" after the boy complained of being tired, and then continued the climb with his elder son. The boy was reportedly found on his own at 07:30 local time on Thursday.
Police located the father at the route's eighth station, which is said to be a three-hour hike away. Officers castigated him upon his return, with one reportedly stating, "Even if it means having to give up on climbing the mountain together, leaving a child behind is unacceptable." The father is said to have apologised for his "rash" decision.