I know, you will be surprised reading this. We have seen and read about beautiful tourism destinations, but this is more beautiful than that is what I believe. It is little difficult to believe that such place exists, but it is true.
Aokigahara Forest in Japan, also known as the Suicide Forest globally. In years past, Aokigahara was also believed to contain yūrei, or mythological Japanese ghosts filled with anger and vengefulness.
The Aokigahara Forest or Suicide Forest is located Northwest of the mighty Mount Fuji. Spread across a huge area of about 35 sq km, the forest of Aokigahara is so thick with foliage that it is also called the ‘Sea of Trees’. Getting lost here is quite easy but coming out is nearly impossible because of the denseness of the forest.
At the entrance of the forest, a sign reminds visitors that “life is a precious gift” from their parents. “Quietly think once more about your parents, siblings or children,” the sign says in Japanese. “Please don’t suffer alone, and first reach out.”
The forest holds a reputation of being home to yūrei, which according to Japanese mythology means ghosts of the dead. Most of the Japanese spiritualists are of the belief that these suicides have permeated Aokigahara’s trees, which in return has given birth to paranormal activities.
The modern technologies and devices such as compasses and mobile phones fail here due to rich deposits of magnetic irons created by volcanic soil in the region. Compasses behave weirdly and show wrong directions while mobile phones don’t receive signals.
The Aokigahara Forest is about 13.5 square miles and was formed around 1,000 years ago. The ground is uneven and covered with moss.
The forest floor mostly consists of volcanic rock. Designated trails lead to several tourist attractions.
Aokigahara has been falsely portrayed as a place where navigational compasses go haywire. Needles of magnetic compasses will move if placed directly on the lava, aligning with the rock’s natural magnetism, which varies in iron content and strength by location. However, a compass behaves as expected when held at a normal height. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has conducted its ranger courses including navigation training in the forest since 1956.
In 2003, 105 bodies were found in the forest, exceeding the previous record of 78 in 2002. In 2010, the police recorded more than 200 people having attempted suicide in the forest, of whom 54 completed. Suicides are said to increase during March, the end of the fiscal year in Japan. As of 2011, the most common means of suicide in the forest were hanging or drug overdose.In recent years, local officials have stopped publicising the numbers in an attempt to decrease Aokigahara’s association with suicide.