Japan records 3,623 hikers stranded in mountains in 2025
Deaths or missing cases totaled 332, while incidents involving foreign tourists jumped to 246, the highest since 2018.
Japan recorded 3,623 people stranded in mountain areas in 2025, up 226 from the previous year and the highest since statistics began in 1961. Data released Thursday by the National Police Agency of Japan also showed 3,122 mountain accidents, the second-highest on record. Of the total victims, 332 were reported dead or missing, while 1,480 were injured. Incidents involving foreign tourists reached 246, up 111 and a record since separate tracking began in 2018. By region, Nagano Prefecture reported the most cases with 358 incidents, followed by Hokkaido with 199 and Yamanashi with 192.