Japanese police have found three people without vital signs near the crater of Mount Fuji.

Officers were responding to a call on Sunday morning from a Tokyo resident, who said she was unable to contact her 53-year-old husband.

The man had left home on Friday evening to climb Japan's highest mountain and was supposed to return the next day. On Saturday morning, he sent his family a photo near the summit. Sometime later, he reportedly went missing.

Police found three people collapsed on the Shizuoka Prefecture side of the crater. They were reportedly found without vital signs.

Police say the three appear to be climbers, and they were found some distance apart from each other.

Police will try to identify them.