, Aug. 23 -- A father in Japan has been reprimanded by police after leaving his seven-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji for several hours while continuing his climb with his older child.

The boy was found sitting on a bench near the sixth station of the Fujinomiya hiking route at around 7:30am local time on Thursday. The area, more than 2,000 metres above sea level, was experiencing fog and rain, reports BBC.

Police said the 48-year-old father told his younger son to wait after the boy complained of being tired, then continued towards the summit with his elder son. The child was left with only a drink and a snack.

Workers at a mountain hut noticed the boy and contacted police. Officers later located his father between the seventh and ei...