The Aokigahara suicide forest is the most terrible place on the planet. Suicide Forest in Japan

On Japanese island Honshu, at the foot of Mount Fuji, there is a so-called suicide forest called Aokigahara(literally "Plain of Green Trees"). This has had an ominous fame since ancient times and is still considered one of the most dangerous natural places on the ground. It is also called Jukai - sea of trees.

As strange and mystically frightening as it may sound, it is here that suicides of all stripes come to commit suicide. In 1707, a volcanic eruption miraculously did not affect this area, as if afraid of the thicket of Aokigahara. The area of the anomalous forest is 35 square kilometers.

Aokigahara Forest at bottom left

From a scientific point of view, it is difficult to explain why those who decide to commit suicide are drawn here. Apparently, scientists have yet to uncover this secret. So far, the only fact known for certain is that at the foot of Mount Fuji, in the suicide forest, the compass does not work. There is a strong magnetic anomaly there, which, apparently, has a colossal effect on humans.

In the vicinity of the forest, in shops and pharmacies, ropes, piercing and cutting objects, as well as dangerous medications are not sold. The ominous glory of the forest thicket is known far beyond Japan. For this reason, tourists undergo special instructions before getting there. All wide trails have cameras to monitor potential suicide bombers.

On many trees, in the thicket of Aokigahara, in the forest of suicides, there are helplines for those who could not solve their problems. life problems. As soon as one of the local residents notices a suspicious person, a call is immediately made to the police in order to warn the guardians of law and order about the impending attempt on their own life.

By the way, until the beginning of the 19th century, poor Japanese took their children or old people whom they could not feed to Aokigahara. The forest of suicides devoured them like a predator prey.

The plain of green trees has such lowlands that completely absorb sound. Gloomy silence and humid air Aokigahara negatively affects the human psyche, suppressing it. Travelers who have been there describe the forest thicket as something extremely gloomy and majestic at the same time.

The deepest, sepulchral silence around and the absence of the slightest living creatures (animals do not live here) evoke a feeling of inexplicable fear. Rocks and caves are visible everywhere, and trees grow only in curves: it is absolutely impossible to find an even trunk!

Just before the entrance to the Aokigahara territory, there is a sign with approximately the following content: “Your life is the most priceless gift that you received from your parents. Think about your family. Don't suffer alone, call us at 22-0110"

Helpline sign

An interesting fact is that the suicide forest is considered the second place in the number of victims, second only to the Golden Gate in California. About a hundred deaths are recorded here every year.

From Tokyo and many other cities, residents of the Country rising sun they come to hang themselves, poison themselves, or cut their veins. Below are photos of this anomalous zone, called Aokigahara suicide forest.

Aokigahara(Japanese: 青木ヶ原?, “Plain green trees"); also known as Jukai(Japanese 樹海?, “Sea of Trees”) is a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji on the Japanese island of Honshu.

Aokigahara is something of a sad landmark in Japan. This place is called the Suicide Forest. Initially, the forest was associated with Japanese mythology and was traditionally considered the habitat of demons and ghosts. Legends about this place have been known to the Japanese since the Middle Ages, and in the 19th century the poor Japanese families They brought and left their old people and children in this forest to certain death, whom they could not feed.

Traditionally, the highly superstitious Japanese easily believe in supernatural forces living in the forests, in demons and ghosts that live among the trees of Aokigahara.

Aokigahara is a popular place for suicide among residents of Tokyo and the surrounding area and is considered the second most popular place in the world to commit suicide. Every year, between 70 and 100 bodies are found in the forest. Officially, the police began searching for the bodies of Aokigahara suicides in 1970. Since then, the number of discovered bodies has been growing year by year. In 2002, 78 remains of suicides were found. The leading methods of suicide are hanging and poisoning. medicines. According to eyewitnesses, it is enough to take just a few dozen steps deep into the forest from the path, and you can find things, bags, plastic bottles and packaging of tablets.

Responsibilities for searching, evacuating and burying bodies rest with the authorities of the three villages closest to the forest: Narusawa, Ashiwada (currently Fujikawaguchiko City) and Kamikuishiki (currently Kofu City). Funds in the amount of five million yen are specifically allocated for these purposes annually. At the same time, the premises specially designated for this purpose are overflowing with bodies found, but never claimed by anyone. Thus, according to data from 2000, 119 bodies were stored in Kamikuishiki, 52 in Ashiwada and another 60 in Narusawa.

At the entrance to the forest there is a poster:

Your life is a priceless gift from your parents.

Think about them and your family.

You don't have to suffer alone.

Call us

In order to prevent new suicides, local authorities are taking a number of preventive measures: installing signs with appeals and indicating hotlines, installing video cameras along the road and paths leading into the forest. Local shops do not sell any means (tablets, ropes) that could be used to commit suicide. Employees of shops located near the roads leading to Aokigahara unmistakably single out from the crowd those tourists who came here with the purpose of suicide: ... They hang around for a while before walking along the path, and they also try not to make eye contact with anyone . (Kazuaki Amano, cashier shopping center Lava Cave

Once a year the forest undergoes a thorough inspection large group volunteers (about 300 people) and police. The forest areas they inspect are fenced off with a special tape, which remains hanging. Numerous tourist guides and websites are full of advice not to deviate from the official routes and paths, since it is very easy to get lost in the forest.

Why the Japanese are drawn to the Aokigahara suicide forest

Suicide Forest - its unofficial name is Aokigahara (Plain of Green Trees), Jukai (Sea of Trees) - a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji on the island of Honshu (Japan), it has become widely known due to the frequent crimes committed in it. Total area approximately 35 km² (14 sq mi).

Aokigahara is a national park and has several hiking trails. The terrain of the forest includes numerous rocky caves, and the peculiarities of the location, in particular the density of the forest and the lowland, provide a “deafening” silence.

Geographic coordinates 35°28′12″ northern latitude; 138°37′11″ East longitude.

General information

At the entrance to the forest there is a poster:

Your life is a priceless gift from your parents.
Think about them and your family.
You don't have to suffer alone.
Call us 0555-22-0110

Aokigahara is a popular suicide spot among residents of Tokyo and the surrounding area and is considered the second most popular place in the world (the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is first) to commit suicide. Every year, between 70 and 100 bodies are found in the forest. Officially, the police began searching for the bodies of Aokigahara suicides in 1970, for which they allocate funds from the treasury every year special means in the amount of 5 million yen.

Once a year, police officers, together with a large group of volunteers (about 300 people), comb the forest. It was reported that during such raids between 30 and 80 bodies are found. This means that on average, every week someone enters this “sea of trees”, never to return... In three nearby populated areas, who are entrusted with the responsibility of collecting this terrible harvest, are equipped with premises for storing unidentified remains.

Among the methods of suicide, the leading place is occupied by hanging and poisoning with medications. As eyewitnesses testify, it is enough to walk only a few dozen steps deep into the forest from the path, and you can find things, bags, plastic bottles and packages of pills on the ground.

This forest, of course, is not included in the lists of tourist attractions, but many tourists visit it during a trip to the famous Mount Fuji, sometimes without even realizing that this is the most sinister point in Japan. The suicide forest, located at the foot of the volcano, is the complete opposite of the beauty and majestic tranquility of the main peak of the country.

Story. Description

864 - a strong eruption of Mount Fuji occurred. A powerful lava flow that descended along the northwestern slope formed a huge lava plateau with an area of 40 square meters. km, on which it began to grow very unusual forest. The soil is dug up, so it looks like someone was trying to uproot centuries-old trunks. The roots of the trees, unable to break through the solid lava rock, come up, intricately intertwined over rocky fragments that were once thrown out of the crater of the volcano. The relief of the forest is furrowed with crevices and many caves, some of them extend underground for several hundred meters, and there are others where the ice does not melt even in the summer.

The Aokigahara area is one of Tokyo's favorite weekend destinations. There are walking paths in the forest, picnics are held on the vast lawns, children play ball or fly a kite, and tourist brochures serenely tell you about birds, foxes and flowers. Amazing views Fuji attracts many photographers and artists to these places.

Sinister secrets of the suicide forest

But these places are famous not only for walks on fresh air. Japanese children pronounce the word “Aokigahara” in a whisper when it’s time for scary stories with the onset of darkness. Tourists are reminded to be careful and under no circumstances stray from the paths deep into the forest. In this sea of trees, in fact, it is easy to get lost: if you move a few tens of meters away from the path, you can get lost for a long time, if not forever... Even with a compass you will not be able to get out of the dense thickets: magnetic anomalies cause the needle to spin randomly, making this device absolutely useless.

However, what excites the blood most of all are the legends about the numerous ghosts living in the forest. These places became notorious back in the Middle Ages, when in times of famine, desperate poor people brought their elderly and infirm relatives to the forest and left them there to die. The groans of these unfortunates did not break through the dense wall of trees, and no one could hear the groans of those doomed to a painful death. The Japanese say that their ghosts lie in wait for lonely travelers in the forest, wanting to take revenge for their suffering.

Nowadays, no one suffers from hunger in Japan, but Aokigahara continues to play his ominous role even now. Mystical landscapes and the ringing silence of the legendary forest attract suicides. Based on the number of suicides committed annually.

The official government is trying to stop this flow of suicides. The owners of local shops are voluntary police assistants: they track suspicious people, having learned to accurately identify tourists who have come here to commit suicide from the crowd. Usually, these are men in formal office clothes, according to one store employee, “they hang around for a while before walking along the path, and they also try not to make eye contact with anyone.” Such cases are immediately reported to the police.

Restless Souls

There are rumors about the Aokigahara forest that here and there you can see the white ghostly outlines of yurei between the trees. According to Shintoism, the souls of those who die their own deaths are united with the spirits of their ancestors. And those who die violently or commit suicide become wandering ghosts - yurei. , come to our world in the form of legless ghostly female figures With long arms and eyes glowing in the dark. And the ringing silence of the forest is broken at night by their groans and heavy breathing.

Causes of suicide

Why do the Japanese, who seem to live in such a prosperous state, come out on top in the world in terms of the number of suicides? More often than other reasons, job loss is cited. Many people say that the Japanese have become too pragmatic, and the lack of money means a lot in modern world. However, here, perhaps, an important role is played by the mentality that developed many centuries ago, when the loss social status is perceived as the worst of evils and can lead to suicide.

Also, from time immemorial, another terrible ritual has come down to our time, called “suicide by conspiracy” in Japan. In this case, it speaks of the voluntary departure from life of two lovers who, for some reason, cannot be together in this world. The belief that simultaneous death can unite them is still very strong today. "Suicide by conspiracy" is still so common in Japan that when the bodies of a man and a woman are found side by side, the police usually do not investigate thoroughly, considering the case obvious. One of these cases is mentioned in the detective novel by Seite Matsumoto, published in Russia under the title “Points and Lines.” Although in this novel we're talking about not about Aokigahara, it is still dedicated to the topic raised.

A surge in suicide pilgrimages to the Aokigahara forest was caused by the work of the writer Wataru Tsurumi “ Complete Guide on suicide,” which was published in 1993 and immediately became a bestseller: more than 1.2 million copies were sold in Japan. This book provides detailed description different ways suicide, and the author described Aokigahara as “a wonderful place to die.” Copies of Tsurumi's book were found near the bodies of some of Aokigahara's suicides.

The place is called Aokigahara (青木ヶ原). It is also called Jukai (樹海 - “Plain of Green Trees” / “Sea of Trees”). This forest is located on the island of Honshu, at the foot of Mount Fuji. Inside the forest, the temperature drops, and finding the way back after leaving the path is quite difficult, even if you climb the most tall tree in the forest.

Aokigahara is considered one of the young forests as it was formed approximately 1,200 years ago. Volcano Fuji last time erupted in 1707, and for some unknown reason, not one of the slopes was covered with lava (an area of about 3000 hectares of land). Later, this area was overgrown with a dense forest of pines, white cedar and boxwood. The trees stand almost like a solid wall. Aokigahara's fauna includes wild foxes, snakes and dogs. Aokigahara is also a national park with several tourist routes offering a climb to Mount Fuji along the northern slope, as well as walks through the beautiful forest.

Since the forest is located near Tokyo and offers many in various ways To spend time outdoors, Aokigahara is a popular destination for picnics and weekend walks. Among the attractions of this park are the Ice Cave and the Wind Cave.

Now let's talk about history:

The forest is one of Japan's kind of sad landmarks. This place is usually called the "Suicide Forest." The forest was originally associated with Japanese mythology and was traditionally considered to be the habitat of demons and ghosts (really similar).

Legends about this place have been known to the Japanese since the Middle Ages, and in the 19th century, poor Japanese families brought and left their elderly and children in this forest for certain death, whom they could not feed... (goosebumps). All Japanese believe that evil spirits and supernatural forces live in this forest (the atmosphere is proof of this). Aokigahara is also considered one of the most terrible places on Earth: since 1950, more than 500 people have committed suicide there. For example, 78 bodies were found in 2002 alone. It was believed that it began when Seicho Macumoto published his novel Kuroi Kaidzu (Black Sea of Trees), where two of his characters committed suicide.

Imagine a forest from an eerie gothic fairy tale. With incredibly twisted trees, moss hanging from them and caves gaping everywhere. That's Jukai. But the creepiest thing about it is the dead silence, which gradually begins to ring in your ears. Any rustle makes you turn around, and conversations become unnaturally cheerful, just not to hear this silence. But the most unpleasant thing is that in Jukai you always feel as if there is someone behind your back.

Tragic outcomes/suicides:

The Land of the Rising Sun, which has frightened the whole world more than once with its horror films, actually draws its plots not from the fevered imagination of the scriptwriters, but from very peculiar myths. They are based on the idea that a person who has died a violent death or committed suicide will not simply leave this world, but will remain and will cruelly take revenge on the living. For almost everyone who decides to enter the “Sea of Green” (this is how the real name of the Aokigahara Jukai forest is translated), it will be a one-way road. Imagine how dense, suffocating stands of trees compete for light and space. Entire floors made of fallen branches, rocks covered with moss, lichens, barely visible paths, climbing plants, flowers and cobwebs. Deep caves made of ice and stone complete absence any sound around...

Even a compass won't save you. The forest stands above a huge magnetic anomaly, and the needle will dance like clockwork. If you still dare, then take your GPS with you...and if something happens to you, few people will come to your rescue, not even the authorities. For this is the forest where death lives...

Aokigahara is a popular suicide spot among residents of Tokyo and the surrounding area and is considered the second most popular place in the world to take one's own life (after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco). Every year, between 70 and 100 bodies are found in the forest. Officially, the police began searching for the bodies of Aokigahara suicides in 1970. Since then, the number of discovered bodies has been growing more and more every year...

The leading methods of suicide are hanging and drug poisoning. According to eyewitnesses, it is enough to take just a few dozen steps deep into the forest from the path, and you can find things, bags, plastic bottles and packages of pills on the ground...

In itself, there is nothing unusual here; any ancient forest acquires an atmosphere of mystery and collects many similar stories. However, in this case they grew into something more, a kind of feedback with dark places in the human psyche.

According to statistics, most of the suicides are men in business suits, and according to officials, suicides are due to the crisis (Japan's economy has always been unstable, even before the global economic crisis). However, not everything is so simple. It’s clear that the Japanese are very hardworking people, they already work beyond the norm, and they lose their nerves, and after long hours of work in offices or somewhere else, all the work is “down the drain”, the bosses don’t have enough, but the crisis is not the only problem. As it turned out, literature intervened: There was a sensational book " Detailed Guide, how to commit suicide", where the forest was described as an "ideal place" for suicide. The government is fighting this - they will place security cameras, signs "Think again." Near the forest there is even a person who is called a "guide", but he, in fact, , trying to distinguish a suicide from an extreme person, that is, whether to let him in or not, call the authorities, or everything is not so simple. The Aokigahara forest (Aokigahara, or Jukai) located at the foot of Fuji. favorite place Japanese youth to settle scores with their lives...

Nowadays, all this has changed; the forest's reputation makes it attractive to depressed young people, a refuge for rejected lovers, and other categories of suicidal individuals. Again, the notorious Japanese bestseller The Complete Manual of Suicide, written by Wataru Tsurumi and published in 1993, described Aokigahara as “a wonderful place to die,” and this only increased attention to him.

Managers and law enforcement agencies The three villages bordering the forest - Narusawa, Ashidawa and Kamikuishiki, are under Japanese law responsible for unidentified bodies in their area, and often corpses wait a long time in Aokigahara before they are discovered, making their identification impossible or extremely difficult and expensive. The search party must find the bodies, remove them from the forest, and “dispose of them” either by burning them or organizing a funeral.

For this they receive money from Yamanashi Prefecture, but the task has become so onerous that the costs reach 5 million yen every year (1.5 million rubles). The corpses must be returned from the forest to the local forestry office, where a special room is allocated for their storage - a room with two beds, one for the corpse and one for the forest worker, who must sleep nearby. This is explained by the fact that according to Japanese superstitions, the ghost of someone who has died prematurely will howl all night and may try to carry away the body, since the body of a suicide should remain in the company of others like it. Foresters usually play with each other for the prize of who should sleep with the corpse.

At the entrance to the forest there is a poster:

Your life is a priceless gift from your parents.
Think about them and your family.
You don't have to suffer alone.
Call us: 22-0110.
"FOREST OF DEATH" or "JAPANESE SUICIDE FOREST"

In order to prevent this, local authorities are taking a number of preventive measures: installing signs with appeals and indicating hotlines, installing video cameras along the road and paths leading into the forest. Local shops do not sell any means (tablets, ropes) that could be used to take one’s own life. Employees of shops located near the roads leading to Aokigahara unmistakably single out from the crowd those tourists who came here with the purpose of suicide: “They wander around for a while before starting down the trail and are careful not to make eye contact with anyone...” Translation: "...They hang around for a while before heading down the path, and they also try not to make eye contact with anyone." (c) Kazuaki Amano, cashier at the Lava Cave shopping center.

The same employee confirmed that in case of suspicion, they immediately report to the police. Regular patrolling of the forest and surrounding roads by police and volunteers also helps prevent possible suicides. Particularly striking are the “men who never gave up the habit of constantly wearing a business suit, wandering along the paths of Aokigahara in formal office clothes”; the police pick them up first! Once a year, the forest undergoes a thorough inspection by a large group of volunteers (about 300 people) and the police. The forest areas they inspect are fenced off with a special tape, which remains hanging.

Numerous tourist guides and websites are full of advice not to deviate from the official routes and paths, since it is very easy to get lost in the forest.

Aokigahara (Jukai): forest of ghosts, also called the Sea of Trees. Aokigahara Forest (Jukai) looks like a forest from an eerie gothic fairy tale. With incredibly twisted trees, moss hanging from them and caves gaping everywhere. That's Jukai. There is dead silence all around, which gradually begins to ring in your ears. This forest is famous for two reasons: magnificent views of Fuji-san (the forest is nearby) and a place for committing suicides.

It is considered one of the most terrible places on Earth: since 1950, more than 500 people have committed suicide there. For example 78 bodies were found in 2002 alone. According to one version, this allegedly began after Seicho Macumoto published his novel Kuroi Kaidzu (Black Sea of Trees), in which two of his characters committed suicide. According to another version, the forest’s reputation goes back to a legend dating back to the Middle Ages: in hungry years, peasant families who could not feed the elderly and newborns took them to this forest to die. Tales and legends are told about demons and ghosts living in this forest.

The area of the forest is a little over 3 hectares, inside the forest the temperature drops, and finding the way back after leaving the path is quite difficult, even if you climb the tallest tree in the forest.

According to statistics, most suicides are men in business suits, and according to officials - suicides due to crisis(Japan's economy has always been unstable, even before the global economic crisis). However, not everything is so simple. It’s clear that the Japanese already work beyond the norm, and their nerves give way, and after long hours of work in offices or somewhere else, all the work is “down the drain”, the bosses don’t have enough, but the crisis is not the only problem. As it turned out, literature intervened:
“One of the first to glorify the forest was Seite Matsumoto in the work “Dark Jukai”. Then there was the sensational book “A Detailed Guide to Committing Suicide,” where the forest was described as an “ideal place” for suicide.”

The government is fighting this - they will put up security cameras and “Remember” signs. Near the forest there is a man who is called a “guide”, but in fact he is trying to distinguish a suicide from an extreme person, that is, whether to let him in or not, call the authorities, or it’s not so simple.
Located at the foot of Fuji, the Aokigahara forest (Aokigahara, or Jukai) - a favorite place for Japanese youth to commit suicide - ranks second in popularity among suicides after San Francisco's Golden Bridge. This forest is also called the sea of trees in Japan.

Every week the police raid the forest in search of new corpses.