Less than 100 miles west of Tokyo, there is a mysterious forest called Aokigahara that lies at the base of Mount Fuji. Because of its very high density of trees, it is also known as "The Sea of Trees" (Jukai). It is also very sought-after by tourists because there are two exotic caves located there, called The Ice Cave and the Wind Cave. The forest has an historic association with demons in Japanese mythology, and it is a notoriously common suicide site (in which 57 took place in 2010); for this reason, a sign at the head of the main trail urges suicidal visitors to think of their families and contact a suicide prevention association. Japanese spiritualists believe that the suicides committed in the forest have permeated Aokigahara's trees, generating paranormal activity and preventing many who enter from escaping the forest's depths.
According to NPA reports, a major suicide trigger in 2010 was depression, and some 57 percent of all the suicide victims were out of work when they died. Among those, men in their 50s were most numerous, though men in their 30s and 40s has been the demographic showing the biggest percentage increase in the past few years.
According to NPA reports, a major suicide trigger in 2010 was depression, and some 57 percent of all the suicide victims were out of work when they died. Among those, men in their 50s were most numerous, though men in their 30s and 40s has been the demographic showing the biggest percentage increase in the past few years.
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| Warning Sign on Aokigahara Pathway |
The Aokigahara has not always attracted hundreds of people wishing to end their lives. While there is some evidence that suggests that as far as the 19th century, it was a place where Japanese carried their elders to die of starvation (a practice called ubasute), it became popular after the 1960’s when a novel by famed author Seichō Matsumoto was published. In this novel called "Tower of Waves", a couple commit suicide in the Aokigahara forest. Another book from 1993, “The Complete Manual of Suicide” by Wataru Tsurumi added to the fuel and increased suicide rates. The author described the Aokigahara as the perfect place to commit suicide and even described which parts of the forests are less circulated so the bodies cannot be found later on.
Usually the forest workers must carry the bodies down from the forest to the local station, where the bodies are put in a special room used specifically to house suicide corpses. The workers then play jan-ken-pon—(rock, paper, scissors)—to see who has to sleep in the room with the corpse.
It is believed that if the corpse is left alone, it is very bad luck for the yurei (ghost) of the suicide victims. Their spirits are said to scream through the night, and their bodies will move on their own.
Sources:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/06/26/general/inside-japans-suicide-forest/
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