Search for live-streamer who fell from Mt. Fuji finds badly damaged corpse half-mile below peak

Oct 31, 2019 | News On Japan

Oct 31, 2019 (soranews24.com) - On October 28, users of Japanese video-streaming website Niconico were shocked when a young Japanese man who was live-streaming his hike to the top of Mt. Fuji tumbled off of Japanâ€™s highest mountain.

With the peak in sight, he started up one of the last sloped sections of the climb, saying â€œThis part is dangerousâ€ literally two seconds before he lost his footing.

Someone who was watching the live stream contacted the police, but a helicopter search was unable to locate the man. A 10-person alpine search-and-rescue team was dispatched by the Shizuoka Prefectural Police early the next morning, but after a full day they too were unable to find the live-streamer.

Sadly, on the afternoon of October 30, the police discovered a dead body in the snow near Mt. Fujiâ€™s seventh station. The elevation where the body was found is approximately 3,000 meters (9,842 feet), which would be a 776-meter (2,545-foot) fall from Mt. Fujiâ€™s summit.

The body had been severely damaged, and though the search team was unable to identify the deceased on-site, they strongly suspect it is the missing live-streamer. No identification or phone was found, but the latter point matches with the content of the stream, as the hikerâ€™s smartphone could be seen bouncing away from him as he rolled down the side of the mountain.

The name of the live-streamer has yet to be released, but an examination of his previous Niconico videos showed that he had climbed Fuji multiple times this year, and as recently as September 7. However, this appears to have been his first attempt to scale Mt. Fuji following the official closing of the mountain to hikers on September 10, after which the mountain begins to see frequent snow and other conditions unsafe for hikers.

Examining the live-streamerâ€™s associated Twitter account, police learned that he departed Tokyo by bus at around 8 a.m. on the morning of October 28, bound for one of the mountainâ€™s fifth stations, roughly half-way to the peak and as high up the mountain as travelers can go by car.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Japan's Airports and Bullet Trains Packed as Five-Day Holiday Ends

Airports and railway stations across Japan were crowded on September 23 as travelers returned from their hometowns and holiday destinations on the final day of the five-day Silver Week holiday, with international flight arrivals reaching their peak and many afternoon Shinkansen services fully booked.

Typhoon No. 25 Leaves Major Rail Disruption Across Chiba

Extensive railway disruption continued across Chiba Prefecture on September 23 as JR East warned that several lines damaged by Typhoon No. 25 would remain closed beyond the Silver Week holiday, even as flights returned toward normal, all typhoon-related expressway closures were lifted and some highway bus services resumed. The storm has left widespread damage to railway tracks and embankments, with flooding, landslides and fallen trees complicating restoration work.

Typhoon No. 25 Death Toll Rises to 9, With 4 Still Missing

The death toll from Typhoon No. 25 rose to nine on September 23, with four people still missing in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, as renewed rainfall raised fears of further landslides in communities devastated by the storm.

Road to Imperial Palace's Otemon Gate Flooded by Typhoon

The road leading to Otemon Gate at Tokyo's Imperial Palace was flooded on September 22 after heavy rain from a typhoon caused water in the surrounding moat to overflow.

Japan Pushes India to Final Ball in Historic Sano Cricket Match

Japan came within two runs of producing one of international cricket's biggest upsets on September 22, pushing reigning T20 world champion India to the final ball before losing a rain-shortened match at Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Escaped Emu Captured After Report of Wandering Ostrich

An emu that escaped from the home of a traveling zoo operator was captured after wandering through a residential neighborhood in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, on September 23, following a police report from a resident who mistook the bird for an ostrich.

Japan's Elderly Population Hits Record 29.6%

People aged 65 and older accounted for a record 29.6% of Japan's population in 2026, the highest proportion among major countries worldwide, while the number of elderly people in employment also reached an all-time high as Japan marked Respect for the Aged Day on September 21.

Emperor and Empress Visit Ghibli Park

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture on September 20, touring exhibits that recreate famous scenes from Studio Ghibli films and posing for a photograph with the character No-Face.

Four Teens Rearrested Over Fatal Assault on 17-Year-Old

Police in Kanagawa Prefecture have rearrested four teenagers on suspicion of murdering a 17-year-old high school student who died after being assaulted in Sagamihara in August.

Why Kansai People Go to Drinking Parties

Drinking parties remain a lively part of social life in Kansai even as younger generations increasingly turn away from alcohol and izakaya bankruptcies rise at a record pace, with customers describing the gatherings less as occasions to drink heavily and more as opportunities to maintain friendships, meet new people and build connections across generations.

'Tokuryu' Criminal Gangs Target Elderly Victims with Refrigerator Trick

Anonymous and fluid criminal groups known in Japan as "tokuryu" are adopting increasingly elaborate tactics, including a scheme in which elderly victims are persuaded to hide cash inside refrigerators before thieves enter their homes, as authorities struggle to combat networks whose members often have no direct contact with one another.

Scam Base Targeting Japanese Run From Lavish Bangkok Mansion

A luxury mansion in Bangkok described as resembling a palace was being used as a base for a specialized fraud operation targeting Japanese people, with Thai authorities detaining 14 people, including four Japanese men.

Copper Thieves Target Remote Nagano Shrine

Copper roofing has been stripped from Shinano-no-miya Shrine in Oshika Village, Nagano Prefecture, leaving the wooden structure exposed in the latest of a series of similar thefts reported at shrines across the prefecture.

< 2 3 4 5 >