Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies while climbing Mount Fuji; A 99-year-old woman was rescued
A Swiss man has died after collapsing while climbing Mount Fuji, authorities said Friday, marking the second death in a week on the scenic but potentially dangerous mountain.
Rescuers separately managed to save a 99-year-old woman, after she was injured on the mountain and was sheltered in a hut for the night.
Japan’s highest mountain was once a peaceful tourist destination but is now popular with climbers – some of whom lack the stamina for the five- to 10-hour trek up and down.
Japan has tightened access rules to the 12,388-meter volcano due to heavy tourism, overcrowding and a series of safety incidents involving ill-equipped climbers, some of whom are foreign tourists. Some climbers stomped to build fires in the fragile mountain terrain, scattering drink bottles, plastic bags and candy wrappers. Tourists ignore warnings about sub-freezing temperatures and appear in shorts and sandals, leaving them sick and even trying to call taxis for rescue.
Police told AFP that a 58-year-old Swiss man, who fainted while hiking, was resuscitated and rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Swiss bereavement company EXIT has identified the man as managing director Bernhard Sutter, in a statement that he died following a medical emergency while on a family vacation in Japan.
“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones in these difficult hours. We express our deepest condolences to you,” EXIT said in a statement, according to the Japan Times.
It was the second fatality since Mount Fuji’s climbing season began on July 1 after the death of a 65-year-old Japanese man on July 17, who reportedly fell and hit his head.
The police also said that Tome Sagawa, 99, was rescued the same day while trying to climb the mountain after a Japanese woman injured herself the day before and slept in a mountain house.
“The police urge people who climb mountains to go down the mountain without pushing themselves if they are worried about the weather or their physical condition, and plan to climb mountains that they can’t walk, taking into account their climbing experience and physical fitness,” said the police spokesperson.
A few days before that, a 54-year-old Japanese man had to be rescued twice in as many days trying to walk, reports said.
The same thing happened to a Chinese man who rode outside the official season – as several thousand do every year – in 2025 after he came back to check his phone and other things.
In 2024, Yamanashi Prefecture, which runs the popular Yoshida Trail, introduced a daily fine of 4,000 hikers and a 2,000-yen ($12.20) fare that doubled in 2025.
Neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture also introduced a 4,000 yen fee for its three trails.
Just over 200,000 people climbed the mountain last year, down from more than 220,000 in 2023.
No people died in 2025 but nine died on the mountain in the 2024 season. In June 2024, four bodies were found on Mount Fuji after one of the missing climbers sent photos from the summit to his family.
