{
  "id": 2577406,
  "title": "Man leaves young son on Mount Fuji before ascending Japan’s highest peak",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/man-leaves-young-son-on-mount-fuji-before-ascending-japans-highest",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-22T12:25:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian",
    "slug": "the-guardian",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/22/man-leaves-young-son-mount-fuji-japan"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A father left his seven-year-old son on Japan's Mount Fuji after the boy expressed feeling tired during a family hike. The boy was discovered alone near the sixth station of the Fujinomiya trail, situated over 2,000 meters above sea level. A hiker alerted local police, who took the child into protective custody. The father, originating from Nagoya, Japan's fourth-largest city, had given his son snacks and a soft drink before continuing his ascent with his older brother, who had already reached the summit. It would have taken the father approximately eight hours to descend, but by the time police contacted him, he had already reached the eighth station. The police reprimanded the father, emphasizing that leaving a child alone on an active volcano is unacceptable, even if it means postponing the climb. The police advised hikers to consider the abilities and stamina of all group members when planning their ascent and to adjust their pace accordingly. The father expressed remorse, apologizing to the police for his \"rash decision.\"",
  "summary": "Boy, seven, had complained of feeling tired so father left him with snacks and a soft drink and continued his climb A man who abandoned his seven-year-old son on Mount Fuji in Japan after the boy complained of feeling tired while on a family hike has been reprimanded by local police. A worker on Japan’s highest mountain discovered the child sitting alone on a bench near the sixth station of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Japanese dad ditches 7-year-old for hours to climb Mt Fuji",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/japanese-dad-ditches-7-year-old-for-hours-to-climb-mt-fuji",
        "published": "2026-08-22T03:35:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Japanese dad ditches 7-year-old for hours to climb Mount Fuji",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/japanese-dad-ditches-7-year-old-for-hours-to-climb-mount-fuji",
        "published": "2026-08-22T05:32:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Japan dad ditches 7-year-old for hours to climb Mt Fuji",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/japan-dad-ditches-7-year-old-for-hours-to-climb-mt-fuji",
        "published": "2026-08-22T06:26:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Father leaves 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji to continue hike, reports say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/father-leaves-7-year-old-son-alone-on-mount-fuji-to-continue-hike",
        "published": "2026-08-22T08:40:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Japan dad ditches 7-year-old for hours to climb Mt Fuji",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/japan-dad-ditches-7-year-old-for-hours-to-climb-mt-fuji-2545561",
        "published": "2026-08-22T09:03:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Father leaves seven-year-old son alone for hours on Mount Fuji during climb",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/father-leaves-seven-year-old-son-alone-for-hours-on-mount-fuji-during",
        "published": "2026-08-22T10:14:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}