Mt. Fuji Climber Dies After Slipping, Falling; Police Responded to Call Stating ‘I Can’t Move’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:43 JST, December 30, 2025

SHIZUOKA — A 44-year-old mountain climber died after slipping and falling while descending from Mt. Fuji on Monday, Shizuoka prefectural police said.

According to the police, the man made an emergency call to the local fire department and asked to be rescued, saying, “My right leg hurts so much I can’t move.”

The police’s mountain rescue team searched for the man in response to the call and found him in cardiac arrest. He was taken to a hospital but later confirmed dead.

The man began climbing Mt. Fuji with two friends on Sunday. He slipped and fell at 11 a.m. on Monday. The rescue team found him about 200 meters southeast of Goraiko-sanso mountain lodge at the seventh station at 4:15 p.m.