Aokigahara

I usually do relatively positive posts on this blog, however this post is very morbid. Just a warning. I often read scary stories and read of places like this, but the stories I read are fiction. They’re for the enjoyment of others and not at all factual accounting of any events (as much as the story itself may beg to differ). However, this place that I’m going to tell you about soon is very real. There have been many sightings of ghosts there, and based on what happens in this place, it would make sense. I’m not a huge believer in ghosts or anything paranormal, but if there ghosts anywhere they’d be here. Ghosts, as I’ve been told, are tortured souls in purgatory left to roam the realm of the living, or more commonly known as people with unfinished business they need to conclude before they pass over to the other side. Either way, ghosts make great stories and can be terrifying.

The place I’m talking about is called Aokigahara. Located at the base of Mt. Fuji, Aokigahara is known as the “Suicide Forest” in Japan. The kanji for Aokigahara, 青木ヶ原, literally means “Sea of Trees.” Many people can get lost in this forest very easily. The trees create a very thick canopy and are very difficult to see through. The deeper you go into the forest, the darker it gets. There are many winding paths in Aokigahara that are easy to get lost on. If you go off the path, you are very likely to get lost because the trees are very similar and it’s hard to find your way around. There are also many vines and roots that can be easily tripped over, so you need to watch your footing in the forest. While you're looking down and looking for better footing, it's easy to lose your way.

Many people go to Aoikigahara to do what  the forest is named after. The Suicide Forest has the highest suicide rate in all of Japan. There are more suicides per year in the forest than any other place in Japan. The most common age range for suicides in the forest is 20-35, mostly office workers that are stressed out from their job. In Japan, people sleeping on the job is considered a sign of your hard work. The more you over exert yourself and the more stress you put on your body, the more highly you're regarded in Japan as a hard worker. This is such a huge problem that there is actually a word for death by over work. That's right, people actually die from working too hard and it's a very popular cause of death in Japan.

Aokigahara is the site of many ghost stories and legends because of its nature. There is said to be many lost souls and ghosts roaming around the forest. These are the souls of the people who killed themselves and regretted it. Now, they're "doomed to haunt the forest" according to one scary story. Whether or not there are ghosts, there have been reports of the forest having a very eerie feeling to it.