Father leaves 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji to continue hike - BBC News

The man had taken his two boys on the trip but is said to have left one behind when he got tired.

Image source, ReutersImage caption, The boy was found alone on Japan's highest mountain

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.

The seven-year-old was spotted sitting on a bench on Mount Fuji in foggy and rainy conditions, at a point situated at over 2,000m (6,500ft).

His father, 48, reportedly told him to "wait here" after the boy complained he was tired - and continued the climb with his elder son.

Staff at a mountain hut found the child near the sixth station of a hiking route towards the summit and alerted police. His father was tracked down between the route's seventh and eighth stations - said to be a three-hour hike away.