A Chinese student’s back-to-back rescues from Mt. Fuji have ignited a fierce public backlash in Japan—not because he needed help, but because he needed it twice in four days.
The unnamed 27-year-old climber was airlifted on April 22 after suffering from altitude sickness and losing his climbing equipment on Japan’s tallest and most iconic mountain. That rescue alone might have passed without much notice. But when the student returned to the mountain just four days later—off-season, unprepared, and in search of his lost belongings—only to require a second rescue, the public mood turned sharply.
In his first ascent, the climber reportedly experienced altitude sickness—a condition that impairs physical function as the body struggles with reduced oxygen at high altitudes—and also damaged his climbing irons, rendering him immobile. Japanese authorities responded swiftly, dispatching a helicopter to airlift him to safety.
At that point, most might have expected the story to end.
But on April 26, the same climber returned to Mt. Fuji’s Fujinomiya Trail, ascending again to around 10,000 feet to recover personal items he had abandoned during his earlier extraction. Once more, altitude sickness struck, and the student collapsed on the mountainside, unable to continue. Fortunately, a passing climber found him and alerted authorities, leading to a second emergency rescue.
This time, however, sympathy was in short supply.
Mt. Fuji is a national symbol—often romanticized as the “soul of Japan”—and the idea that someone would recklessly climb it off-season not once, but twice stirred a strong public reaction. According to the Associated Press, many in Japan took to social media to demand reimbursement for the costly rescue effort, especially given that rescue missions on Fuji are taxpayer-funded and free of charge, even when the climber is at fault.
Calls for reform echoed across social channels:
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“Why should taxpayers cover this twice?”
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“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, pay the bill.”
Others questioned whether legal consequences or financial penalties should be introduced for off-season climbers who ignore safety warnings and require multiple rescues.
While Mt. Fuji’s official climbing season runs from July to September, the mountain is not technically closed during other months. There are no laws prohibiting off-season climbing, but conditions are far more dangerous. Snow, wind, and temperature swings are common, and rescue teams operate under added strain and risk.
The mountain rises to 12,400 feet, making it not only the tallest in Japan but also a frequent cause of altitude sickness, even among seasoned climbers. The condition ranges from discomfort to potentially fatal conditions like HAPE (fluid in the lungs) and HACE (brain swelling), both of which can kill within hours if untreated.
Beyond this individual case, the controversy taps into a deeper tension. Mt. Fuji draws hundreds of thousands of climbers each year, and overtourism has become a pressing concern. In response, Japanese authorities have already introduced entry fees and visitation caps on the Yoshida Trail, with more restrictions expected in 2024 to preserve the site’s environmental and cultural significance
