Father leaves 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji so that he could climb to the summit

A seven-year-old boy was left alone on Mount Fuji by his 48-year-old father after becoming too tired to complete a family climb, according to local media reports.

The father instructed the child to wait at the sixth station, around 2,490 metres above sea level, while he continued towards the summit with his older son.

A mountain hut worker found the boy sitting alone on a bench, brought him inside for shelter, and alerted the police.

Police located the father near the eighth station and ordered him to turn back to collect his son, who was unharmed.

Japanese police reprimanded the father, saying that leaving a child behind is unacceptable, with the father reportedly saying that he “deeply regrets” his actions.

The Independent