World News
Three Climbers’ Bodies Found in Crater at Summit of Japan’s Mount Fuji
Three bodies were found inside a crater at the summit of Mount Fuji, Japan’s most famous mountain, with one of them already brought down from the slopes, police said Thursday.
The identities of the people, including gender or age, were not confirmed. An effort to bring back the two other bodies will continue Friday or later, depending on weather conditions, they said. A search was called off for Thursday because of forecasts for heavy rainfall.
It’s unclear whether the three people were climbing the 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) mountain together, as the bodies were found several meters apart.
Read More: Climbing Mountains Can Cause Psychosis, Researchers Say
The official climbing season had not yet started when the climbers entered the mountain from the Shizuoka Prefecture side.
Japanese media reports showed a vehicle with one of the bodies driving into a police station in Shizuoka Prefecture. The rescue team had been searching for a 53-year-old man for whom a missing person report was filed.
Separately, Kyodo News service said professional climber Keita Kurakami, 38, died in a hospital after being found by police while climbing Fuji from the Yamanashi Prefecture side of the mountain.
Fuji can be climbed from both Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. The climbing season kicks in for Yamanashi starting July 1.
Read More: Japan’s Mount Fuji Introduces Paid Climbing Reservation System to Counter Overtourism
Mount Fuji, made famous in ukiyoe, or woodblock prints, of 18th and 19th Century Edo Era masters Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, is a popular tourist destination.
Experts warn it can get extremely cold, even in the summer, and proper gear, climbing boots and clothing are crucial. Trekkers are also at risk of altitude sickness if they ascend too quickly.
The picturesque Fuji has long been an iconic symbol of Japan, with its gracefully sweeping slopes and white icy cap that stand out amid tranquil lakes and rice fields.
As many as 300,000 people climb Fuji every year, and watching the sunrise from the mountaintop is coveted as a spiritual experience. But worries have been growing lately about overcrowding from the iNFLux of tourists.
Read More: Sightseers in Japan Poke Holes in Barrier That Was Installed to Keep Them Away
The town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi erected a large black screen along a sidewalk to block the view of Mount Fuji to discourage photo-snapping crowds.
-
World News23h ago
Prince Harry Opens Up About Experiencing Grief in Childhood During Candid Conversation
-
World News23h ago
The Meaning of the Putin-Kim Connection
-
World News1d ago
‘We Have to Do More’: Marcos Urges Fiercer Response, While Showing Restraint, Toward Chinese Aggression in South China Sea
-
World News1d ago
How 14 Years of Conservative Rule in the U.K. Pushed Young People Into Poverty
-
World News1d ago
Who Was the Leader of Bolivia’s Failed Coup and What Happens to Him Next?
-
World News1d ago
Thai Public Overwhelmingly Supports Recriminalizing Cannabis in State Survey
-
World News1d ago
More Than 20,000 Children Are Missing in Gaza, New Report Finds
-
World News2d ago
The Royal Family’s History With Wimbledon: From George V to Kate Middleton