On the night of July 5, a woman in her 50s from the U.S. got lost while climbing down Mount Fuji and was safely rescued by a mountain rescue team.
Around 8 p.m., police received a call via a phone company from the woman saying she was lost on the mountain, it was dark, and she was scared.
The Shizuoka police rescue team found the 59-year-old woman near the Hoei First Crater on the Gotemba side of Mount Fuji. She had been hiking alone and was visiting Japan for sightseeing.
She had taken a wrong path while descending after reaching the summit, mistakenly following what's known as the "Prince Route." She ended up getting lost near the crater.
The team guided her down the mountain, and by about 11 p.m.—three hours after the call—she reached the 5th station on the Fujinomiya trail. She was not injured.
It was her first time climbing Mount Fuji, but she had mountain climbing experience abroad and had proper gear.
Climbing trails on the Shizuoka side of Mount Fuji officially open on July 10. Police are reminding people to follow the rules and plan safe climbs.
by MagazineKey4532