Aokigahara (青木ヶ原), also known as the Sea of Trees (樹海 Jukai), is a 35km forest that lies at the north west base of Mount Fuji in Japan. The forest contains a number of rocky, icy caverns, a few of which are popular tourist destinations.
The forest, which has a historic association with demons in Japanese mythology, is a popular place for suicides; in 2002, 78 bodies were found, despite numerous signs, in Japanese and English, urging people to reconsider their actions. Due to the wind-blocking density of the trees, and an absence of wildlife, the forest is known for being eerily quiet.
The forest is a popular place for suicides, reportedly the world’s second most popular suicide location after San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. This popularity is often attributed to the 1960 novel Nami no Tō (波の塔, lit., “Tower of Waves”) by Seichō Matsumoto, which ends with two lovers committing suicide in the forest. However, the history of suicide in Aokigahara predates the novel’s publication, and the place has long been associated with death: ubasute may have been practiced there into the 19th century, and the forest is reputedly haunted by the ghosts of those left to die.
There are no reliable statistics counting total or average body count in the forest. In 2002, 78 bodies were found within the forest, replacing the previous record of 73 in 1998. In 2003, the rate climbed to 100, and in recent years, the local government has stopped publicizing the numbers in an attempt to downplay Aokigahara’s association with suicide. In 2004, 108 people killed themselves in the forest. In 2010, 247 people attempted suicide in the forest, 54 of whom completed the act.
The high rate of suicide has led officials to place signs in the forest, in Japanese and English, urging those who have gone there in order to commit suicide to seek help and not kill themselves. The annual body search, consisting of a small army of police, volunteers, and attendant journalists, began in 1970.
(from Wikipedia)
Aokigahara: Suicide Forest Documentary on YouTube (warning: some photos of bodies are used, and although they are not particularly grisly, they are still real bodies; viewer discretion is advised). The man being interviewed, Azusa Hayano, is amazing.
Watched this documentary today. Saddening but so amazing in places. And Azusa Hayano is such an inspirational guy.
(Source: thebeggarking)
“I’m mad. You’re mad. We’re all mad here.”
— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, chapter VI: Pig and Pepper
(Source: lewis-carroll)
