A father has been reprimanded by police after leaving his son on Japan's highest mountain for several hours with just a soft drink and snack, local media report.

The seven-year-old was spotted sitting on a bench on Mount Fuji in foggy and rainy conditions, at a point situated at over 2,000m (6,500ft).

His father, 48, reportedly told him to "wait here" after the boy complained he was tired - and continued the climb with his elder son.

Staff at a mountain hut found the child near the sixth station of a hiking route towards the summit and alerted police. His father was tracked down at the route's eighth station - said to be a three-hour hike away.

According to reports, the boy was found on his own at 07:30 local time on Thursday (22:30 GMT).

Officers castigated his father when he returned from the higher station and reunited with his son.

"Even if it means having to give up on climbing the mountain together, leaving a child behind is unacceptable," one told him, according to Japan Today. He is said to have apologised for the "rash" decision.

The family was reported to have been on the Fujinomiya route, which starts from the fifth station on the mountain, a spot which is accessible by public transport.

From there it takes around five hours to reach the peak and a further three hours to get down, climbing guides suggest.

Mount Fuji, which stands at a height of 3,776m (12,389ft), has been the site of a number of climbing mishaps in recent years.

In July, a 99-year-old woman had to be rescued attempting the route after falling and hurting her hip and back.

And last year, a 27-year-old university student who went outside of official climbing season had to be rescued twice in four days - after he went back to look for his lost mobile phone.

Mount Fuji, an active volcano located south-west of Tokyo, was granted World Heritage status in 2013.

It is also one of three traditional "Holy Mountains" together with Mount Tate and Mount Haku.

Around 200,000 people climb it each year, but there are daily caps on some routes to avoid overcrowding. (BBC)

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