Student Rescued Twice on Mount Fuji While Attempting to Retrieve Mobile Phone

Mount Fuji opens to hikers from July to September and people are advised not to hike during the off-season.

A 27-year-old Chinese student was rescued twice in the span of a week while climbing Mount Fuji after he returned to retrieve his mobile phone. The student had been ascending Japan’s tallest peak outside the official climbing season, a period when trails are closed due to hazardous conditions.

The initial rescue took place on Tuesday when the student was stranded around 3,000 meters above sea level on the Fujinomiya trail. He became unable to descend after losing his crampons, which are essential traction devices affixed to climbing shoes for icy and slippery conditions. A helicopter was dispatched to airlift him off the mountain.

Undeterred, four days later, the student returned to Mount Fuji to retrieve belongings, including his mobile phone, left behind during the previous rescue. During this second attempt, he began suffering from altitude sickness and was again unable to descend. Another climber noticed his distress and contacted authorities, leading to his evacuation by stretcher.

Torii gate near the 8th Station on Mt. Fuji.

Following the second incident, Shizuoka prefectural police reiterated strong warnings against climbing Mount Fuji outside the designated climbing season, which spans from early July to early September. Safety guidelines discourage such climbs due to the increased risk of accidents on the treacherous, unmaintained trails. Social media users criticized the student's actions, calling for him to bear the financial burden of the two rescue operations.

The dangers of mountain climbing in Japan have been escalating. In 2023, the country recorded a historic high of 3,126 mountain climbing accidents, marking an increase of 111 cases from the previous year, according to the National Police Agency. Mount Fuji experienced the largest surge in incidents, with 97 individuals involved in accidents—a 90% increase compared to the average of the past five years. Getting lost and falling accounted for two-thirds of these cases.

Climbers gather on the first day of the climbing season at the Yoshida Trail at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture

A December 2023 report by Japan’s Environment Ministry revealed that nearly half of the 1,127 trails across the country's 34 national parks lack proper maintenance and preservation oversight. Kenji Kubota, a member of a Japanese mountain trail study group, noted that with the growing number of elderly climbers and deteriorating trail conditions, incidents involving lost climbers and falls are expected to rise further.

In response to these trends, officials have implemented new safety measures. Beginning last year, a 2,000 yen (approximately £10) fee is collected at a gate around the halfway point of the Yoshida Trail, the most popular route to Mount Fuji’s summit. The number of climbers permitted on this trail has been capped at 4,000 per day to manage crowding and enhance safety.