Lost man survives a week by eating snow

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese climber lost in the mountains for more than a week in frigid conditions survived by eating snow before making his way down to a ski resort on Friday, Japanese media said.

Masayuki Nakamura headed into the Azuma mountain range about 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo on December 30, saying he planned to be back on January 2.

But he became disoriented in the snow and wandered the area for more than a week, reports said. He had no mobile phone and his food supply ran out after a few days.

A ski resort employee found Nakamura walking along a road close to the ski hills Friday, Kyodo news agency said. He was taken to hospital suffering from mild frostbite.

"I really thought I was done for, so I was truly happy that I made it," Kyodo news agency quoted him as telling a reporter. "I never want to climb a mountain again."

(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; editing by Roger Crabb)