The Aokigahara Forest
Aokigahara is one of the eeriest places in the entire world. Nestled at the base of Mount Fuji this emerald canopy isn’t even one hundred miles from the bustling epicenter of Tokyo, but it couldn’t be more different. Although most Westerners know the forest by Aokigahara, it is also called Jukai, which roughly translates to ‘Sea of Trees.’
There is a tranquil aspect to Aokigahara that you might not be able to put your finger on at first. One reason for the eerie tranquility of Aokigahara might be its apparent lack of wildlife. While there is some, for a forest this size it is surprisingly critter-free. This very quietness is what draws people to Aokigahara.
If you make your way there, you may find the signs that lead into this peaceful forest strange. In both English and Japanese they read, "Your life is something precious that was given to you by your parents" and "Meditate on your parents, siblings and your children once more. Do not be troubled alone. Signs like this litter the forest...and you may wonder why.
Well, Aokigahara is also known by another name other than Jukai...the Suicide Forest. It is unclear exactly why Aokigahara began to draw people to end their lives in the peace of nature...perhaps it is the proximity to the city or the beautiful density of the trees. Some even believe that Aokigahara may have a kind of supernatural pull on those who enter it.
Due to the density of the forest, it is unclear just how many people choose to end their lives here. Some believe it to vary between 60-100 per year but there is a good chance that many corpses are never found as they make their way deeper and deeper into the forest’s grip.
The dense forest makes it easy to get lost and the makeup of the ground often renders compasses directionless.
It appears Aokigahara has long been a place of death...although not always suicide. There is a possibility that historically the Japanese in the surrounding area would carry their elders to die in Aokigahara. This notably gained popularity in the 1960s when a practice called ubasute was popularized by the author Seicho Matsumoto. Suicides became regular in about the 1950s.
While some believe that, as I have previously mentioned, that Aokigahara may have a supernatural power all its very own. However, others believe that Aokigahara didn’t originally have anything supernatural about it but the number of suicides have imbued the forest with something.
Every year, several times a year, crews make their way into the forest to clear out the bodies. Although they never manage to remove all the bodies, a significant amount are typically removed. This is a huge endeavor and a necessary one, as the forest is a popular tourist destination.
It is important to remember that this is a powerful, strange place is the final resting place for hundreds of lost souls. Some, perhaps, went there willingly but many were likely tortured by inner demons, the pressures of society, or some other unseen force. This place, like many other places of death around the world, deserves our respect and reverence.
Thank you Christina H for this Blogstonishing suggestion!
The above image is of Aokigahara forest in Yamanashi, Japan taken by Ajari and licensed under CC BY 2.0.
