A Chinese national had to be rescued twice in one week from Mount Fuji after he returned to the mountain peak to collect his phone.
The 27-year-old student living in Japan was rescued for the first time on Tuesday by a helicopter while on the Fujinomiya trail, about 3,000m above sea level on the mountain’s Shizuoka Prefecture side, news reports said.
The student climbed Japan’s tallest peak in the off-season and was unable to descend the trail after he lost his crampons, the device that is attached to the bottom of climbing shoes.
The student returned to the mountain days later to recover his belongings that he left behind, including his phone, Kyodo News reported. Police said they received a call from another climber at around 12.50pm on Saturday informing them of the student suffering from altitude sickness.
The Shizuoka prefectural police’s mountain rescue officers found the student on the 8th station and brought him back to the 5th station on a stretcher. He was then handed over to the fire department.
Climbers are discouraged from hiking Mount Fuji during the off-season due to the risk of death or injury from harsh conditions. The climbing season traditionally begins from 1 July and stretches up to September, with over 200,000 hikers attempting the summit annually.
Japan’s iconic mountain has seen a surge in tourists in recent years, sparking concerns over overcrowding, pollution, and disruptive behaviour by tourists. Japan in March announced it will introduce a ¥4,000 (£20) entry fee for all four main trails of Mount Fuji starting this summer.
Earlier, only the Yoshida Trail in Yamanashi prefecture had a ¥2,000 (£10) fee. Now, Shizuoka prefecture will also charge for its three trails, which were previously free. Shizuoka is home to three of Mount Fuji’s four main climbing trails – Fujinomiya, Subashiri, and Gotemba.
According to the World History Encyclopaedia, dreaming of Mount Fuji is considered a sign of good fortune in Japan. Beyond the shrines on the mountain itself, more than 13,000 shrines across Japan are reported to be dedicated to Mount Fuji. Many feature small-scale replicas of the mountain, allowing those unable to climb the real peak to make a symbolic pilgrimage.
