Photo/Illutration The National Police Agency (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A record 52 mountain climbing accidents occurred across Japan during the year-end break, an increase of 22 over the same period the previous year, the National Police Agency said.

The figure for the period between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3 marked the highest since 2003 when such statistics were first kept.

According to the agency, the number of people involved in mountain accidents increased by 35 to 67, also the highest on record.

This included four deaths, down two from the same period last year, and three cases of missing climbers, up one from the same period last year.

By prefecture, Chiba had the highest number of people in distress, with nine climbers. The climbing deaths occurred in Fukushima, Nagano, Shizuoka and Osaka prefectures.

The most common cause of accidents was getting lost, accounting for 24 climbers, followed by falls (10) and slips (eight).

Among those in distress, only seven climbers, or 10 percent of the total, had submitted climbing plans to local authorities beforehand.

The NPA urges climbers to submit climbing plans and check weather and other conditions before choosing a route. It also urged climbers to carry GPS devices for safety.

Related News