"I Left My Mobile Phone"... Climbs the Mountain Again
Says, "I Will Never Climb Again"
A Chinese man who previously descended Mount Fuji with the help of rescue teams attempted to climb the mountain again just four days later, prompting another rescue operation. It was reported that he returned to the mountain to retrieve a mobile phone he had left behind during his earlier rescue, which sparked public outrage among Japanese internet users.
According to NHK and Shizuoka Broadcasting on April 28, local police responded to a report from a hiker around 1 p.m. on April 26 that someone had collapsed and was shivering near the eighth station of the Fujinomiya trail on Mount Fuji. The Shizuoka Prefectural Police mountain rescue team confirmed that the individual was exhibiting symptoms of altitude sickness, transported him on a stretcher to the fifth station, and then took him to a hospital. Medical examination found that he had no major injuries and that his life was not in danger.
The rescued hiker was identified as a 27-year-old male Chinese national and university student residing in Tokyo. It was confirmed that this student was the same person who had been rescued near the summit of Mount Fuji just four days earlier, on April 22. At that time, he reported that he had lost his crampons and could not descend, and that he was also experiencing nausea. He was rescued with the help of a fire department helicopter.
During the initial rescue, the man had left behind his belongings, including his mobile phone, on the mountain. He reportedly returned to the mountain to retrieve them, but experienced physical difficulties while descending and again required assistance from rescue teams. He reportedly told authorities, "I will never climb again."
Police stated, "Climbing Mount Fuji is currently prohibited, and mountain lodges are closed, making it dangerous. Please refrain from climbing."
Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, officially opens its summit trails for only about two months each year, typically from early July to early September. This year, the official opening dates for Mount Fuji are July 1 for the Yamanashi Prefecture route and July 10 for the Shizuoka Prefecture route.
Japanese internet users responded critically, commenting, "He doesn't consider how much trouble he's causing," "There should be fines for rescues resulting from such unreasonable behavior," "The actual costs of rescue and search operations should be billed to those involved," "Stricter rules for mountain entry should be introduced," and "Regardless of nationality, insurance should be mandatory for all climbers."
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