Aokigahara aka Blue Tree Meadow aka Sea of Trees
Location:
- Northwestern area of Mount Fuji, island of Honshu in Japan
- Approximately 12 sq miles of hardened lava
- Caves, lava rocks, and thick forest
Background:
Suicide can be a tough subject. Almost everyone, in some way, has been affected by suicide. In Japan, however, there’s a different view of self-inflicted death. The stigma most of us are used to, simply doesn’t exist there. In pastimes, a samurai’s ritual suicide was viewed as honorable. Given, it’s not exactly a normal practice now, but those beliefs made a lasting impression.
With that being said, Japan actually has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. From one statistic, after they suffered a global financial crisis in 2008, there were 2,645 reported suicides the following January.
So that’s Japan in general. The focus of today’s article is a forest that has gained quite a reputation. Records of suicide go back as far as the 1960s. And according to Japanese mythology, this forest is the actual home of many ghosts, which is also said to tie in with the suicides. So not only is this forest known for it’s high rate of suicide, but those same spirits haunt the woods, tormenting anyone that steps foot into the trees.
A few statistics on the forest suicides:
- 2002 – 78 bodies found
- 2003 – 105 bodies found
- 2010 – 247 suicide attempts, 54 successful
- Although the government declines to release any definite numbers as of late, it’s said that 70 to 100 bodies are still recovered each year.
- Death by hanging is the most used method, with the second being poisoning.
Interesting Facts:
People have volunteered their time and efforts since the 1970s. One would think it would be to intervene at people’s suicide attempts. Instead, it’s to recover remains for proper burial.
Camping is actually allowed in the forest.
The grounds are rich with magnetic iron, which causes issues with cell phones and GPS devices.
References in Media:
There aren’t many genres that haven’t touched on some element of the Suicide Forest. Anime. Movies. Radio. Books. Music. Video games.
- Kuroi Jukai – novel, 1960
- The Forest – film, 2016
- The Sea of Trees – film, 2015; literature, 2019
- Suicide Forest – play, 2019
Author’s Notes:
When I first learned about Suicide Forest, my soul broke. Of course, I don’t think anyone is meant to understand the supernatural happenings behind this place. Or the heartaches of the suicides that occur. But the stories are there. There’s truth and sadness and fear. Regardless of your beliefs, this is a place where you should show respect. Respect to the forest and respect to the lost souls.
Suicide has always been a difficult subject for me, but I feel it’s an important topic. People should be more open and more willing to listen. We all need help, some worse than others. We all play a role in this universe, and I feel that part of that is to be a beacon of hope. Do your part.
Sources:
wikipedia.com
mentalfloss.com
Lore & Curiosities 