Mount Fuji father left son for hours, police say

A father left his seven-year-old son alone for hours on Japan's Mount Fuji while continuing a climb, police and local media reported.

A local police officer in Shizuoka region told AFP that the boy was found alone on a hiking route on Thursday and taken into police custody.

Local broadcaster SBS reported that the child told his father he was tired at the mountain's sixth station, more than 2,000 metres above sea level. The father then told him to wait and continued hiking with another son after the boy's older brother had gone on ahead, SBS reported.

TV Asahi, citing mountain hut staff who alerted police, reported that the boy was told to wait for eight hours with snacks and a soft drink but no money.

Officers contacted the father at the eighth station and handed the child back to him when he returned. The police officer said officers gave the man a stern warning for leaving the boy behind. Local media reported that the father apologised to police and admitted the act was careless.