Inside Japan's Aokigahara: Why Is It Called a Suicide Forest?

Inside Japan's Aokigahara: Why Is It Called a Suicide Forest?
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Simon)

Many wonder what's in Japan's infamous Aokigahara forest, dubbed the "Suicide Forest." What could have drawn the people to flock to the area to kill themselves?

Inside Japan's Aokigahara The 'Suicide Forest'

A six-month catastrophic eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 buried entire communities and left behind a vast field of hardened lava. Beneath the snow-capped volcano, a tangled forest formed over the previous 1,000 years on that lava field or forest floor. Although Aokigahara is the official name, most Japanese call it jukai, which translates to "sea of trees."

Aokigahara, in the rural Yamanashi prefecture, is a well-liked trekking destination only a few hours from Tokyo. However, not everyone visits for the wide-ranging views and clean air.

Aokigahara has been known as a seedier type of resort for many years. It is referred to as the suicide forest by lost souls who believe there is no other path out.

Although it is portrayed as a dark entity in some movies, like in Jason Zada's 2016 horror-mystery "The Forest" as something creepy with abandoned cars and warning signs in other blogs or media, the place is "beautiful," according to Lindsay Nelson, a political science professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, who writes about Japanese horror films.

"It's just a scenic hiking spot," she added.

The forest has several hiking and walking trails. It also

features deep lava caves- the wind and ice caves- that visitors can explore.

Also, tourists should not be afraid to explore the forest because although the woods are dense, the trees are marked with colored tapes or strings to help them navigate the forest and find their way back out. So, it's safe to say one will not get lost when hiking.

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History and Rate of Suicide in Aokigahara Forest

According to Nelson, there are "conflicting stories" associated with Aokigahara and why it is called a "suicide forest."

Like other mountains in Japan, Mount Fuji and the surrounding forests are revered as sacred sites. According to Nelson, ascetic Buddhist monks have been withdrawing into forests for almost a millennium to engage in severe self-denial and life-ending meditation practices.

In one tradition, monks lived solely on leaves and bark as they meditated in the forest for a thousand days. They were then "buried alive" and allowed to continue their meditation in a subterranean crypt. The final objective was to turn the body into a sokushinbutsu, or kind of mummy, while it was still alive. In some places in Japan, the remains of these 18 "self-mummified" monks are still on exhibit.

As for the rate of suicide, in 2010, there were over 200 people who attempted suicide in the area. But when it comes to the overall deaths in the region, the suicide forest was pale in comparison to the Golden Gate Bridge.

There have been 1,500 deaths in 80 years at the bridge and only about 500 deaths in Aokigahara since the 1950s.