{
  "id": 2603059,
  "title": "Father leaves 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji to continue hike",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/father-leaves-7-year-old-son-alone-on-mount-fuji-to-continue-hike-2603059",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-22T15:33:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/father-leaves-7-year-old-son-alone-on-mount-fuji-to-continue-hike/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A father has been criticized by police after leaving his seven-year-old son alone on Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji, for several hours. The boy was found sitting on a bench, in foggy and rainy conditions, near a point over 2,000 meters above sea level. His father, 48, reportedly told him to \"wait here\" as he continued the hike with his other son. A mountain hut staff member discovered the child near the sixth station and informed the police. The father was found between the seventh and eighth stations, a three-hour hike away. The boy was discovered alone at 07:30 local time, stating he was \"tired and fussy\" after eight hours of waiting. Police strongly condemned the father's decision, emphasizing that leaving a child behind is unacceptable, even if it meant abandoning the climb together. The family was on the Fujinomiya route, accessible by public transport. Mount Fuji, standing at 3,776 meters, has seen several mishaps in recent years, including a 99-year-old woman's rescue after falling hurt and a 27-year-old student being rescued twice in four days. Mount Fuji, an active volcano near Tokyo, was granted World Heritage status in 2013 and attracts around 200,000 climbers annually.",
  "summary": "A father has been reprimanded by police after leaving his son on Japan's highest mountain for several hours with just a soft drink and snack.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "GBC Ghana",
        "title": "Father leaves 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji to continue hike",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/father-leaves-7-year-old-son-alone-on-mount-fuji-to-continue-hike-2607895",
        "published": "2026-08-22T16:20:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}