Danica Davidson
April 30, 2025 
Japan’s Mount Fuji is a famous place to hike, but there is an official hiking season for it, and that begins in July. For a lot of the year, the mountain is not properly staffed by people who can help if anything goes wrong. So it made international news when there had to be two rescue missions on Mount Fuji in a week . . . both for the same man.
Thankfully, the man is still doing okay. His name isn’t known, but he’s 27-years-old, and is a Chinese national currently studying in Japan. On April 22, he reached out to emergency services when he was up somewhere close to the top. Somehow he’d lost his crampons, which he needed for hiking, and he was also nauseated, which is one of the signs for altitude sickness. Because of where he was stuck, it wasn’t even possible for other hikers to go up and get him. A helicopter needed to be brought in.
Then, on April 26, he needed emergency services again. He was about 10,663 feet up the mountain. This time, though, a rescue team was able to reach him without a helicopter being involved.
After such a dangerous rescue just four days before, many people wondered why he would go up again.
The answer?
He’d dropped his smart phone on the mountain sometime during the first rescue.
The official website for climbing on Mount Fuji makes it clear that this is not an easy hike, writing:
“Climbing Mt. Fuji as a day trip is extremely dangerous unless you have sufficient physical strength and experience. Make a plan that suits your physical strength and be mindful of what time you should start descending the mountain so that you can catch the bus home in time.
* Do not climb without a plan and sufficient gear: Climbing with light gear and bullet climbing involve high risk.”
Hopefully he didn’t forget anything else up there.
Source: SoraNews24
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
