Israeli hiker found dead in Japan after 5-day search

Remains of Tevel Shabtai located after she went missing on Mount Asahi, where freezing temperatures and high winds complicated rescue operation

By ToI Staff 6 May 2026, 4:39 am 2

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Tevel Shabtai (Facebook/ used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The body of an Israeli hiker was found Tuesday in northern Japan after five days of search and rescue operations.

According to the reports, the mother of Tevel Shabtai, a 23-year-old from Modiin, informed the Israeli Embassy in Japan on May 1 that she lost contact with her daughter after she told her she was planning on climbing Mount Asahi, the tallest mountain in the northernmost island of Hokkaido.

An international Israeli company, Magnus Search and Rescue, was enlisted to search for her.

Shabtai, hiking alone, began following the mountain’s hiking trail after using the cable car and registering at the entrance to the nature reserve, where temperatures ranged from 32 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit with snow and wind that made the search difficult.

Magnus worked with Japanese police, rescue teams and volunteers as part of the efforts to locate Shabtai, which included searches with a helicopter.