The Aokigahara suicide forest is the most terrible place on the planet. Aokigahara - the last refuge of ghosts and suicides

Aokigahara (Japanese: ?????, "Plain green trees"); also known as Jukai (Japanese ???, "Sea of Trees") - a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji on Japanese island Honshu. The forest, located right at the foot of the volcano itself, is the complete opposite of the beauty and majestic tranquility of these places.

The total area is approximately 35 sq. m. km. The terrain of the forest includes many rocky caves, and the features of the location, in particular the density of the forest and the lowland, provide a “deafening” silence. It is also claimed that there are vast deposits underground in the forest area. iron ore, this apparently explains the fact that compasses do not function in Aokigahara. The land on which the forest is located is volcanic rock that is quite dense and cannot be worked with hand tools such as hoes and shovels.

Aokigahara is considered a young forest because it was formed approximately 1,200 years ago. The last major eruption of Mount Fuji occurred in 1707 and for some reason did not cover one of the slopes with lava, covering an area of about 3,000 hectares of land. Later, this area was overgrown with a dense forest of boxwood, pines and other conifers. The trees stand almost like a solid wall.

But that’s not what’s terrible here...

The soil is dug up, as if 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 riddled with fractures and numerous caves, some of which extend underground for several hundred meters, and in some of them the ice never melts.

Aokigahara's fauna includes wild foxes, snakes and dogs.

Aokigahara is 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 close to Tokyo and offers many in various ways spend time on fresh air, Aokigahara is a popular destination for picnics and weekend outings.

Among the park's attractions are the Ice Cave (Japanese: ?? hyōketsu?) and the "Wind Cave" (Japanese: ?? fu:ketsu / kazeana?).

In 864 there was a powerful eruption of Mount Fuji. An indestructible lava flow descending along the northwestern slope formed a huge lava plateau with an area of 40 square meters. km, on which he took root very unusual forest. The soil is dug up, as if 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 riddled with fractures and numerous caves, some of which extend underground for several hundred meters, and in some of them the ice never melts.

As dusk sets in, people begin to talk about this place only in whispers. Disappearances and frequent suicides - this is the real face of Aokigahara. Tourists are strictly warned not to turn off the main paths into the depths of the forest because it is easy to get lost here. The magnetic anomaly makes the compass completely useless, and the similar terrain makes it impossible to find the exit from memory. Legends have long been written about the numerous ghosts that live in the forest. This place became notorious back in the Middle Ages, when in years 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 could not break through the dense wall of trees, and no one heard 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.

There are rumors that here among the trees you can see the white ghostly outlines of yurei. According to Shintoism, the souls of those who die a natural death are united with the spirits of their ancestors. Those who suffered a violent death or committed suicide become wandering ghosts - yurei. Finding no peace, they come to our world in the form of legless ghostly figures with long arms and eyes glowing in the dark. And the oppressive deathly silence of the forest is broken at night by their groans and heavy breathing. Those who decide to visit Aokigahara must have strong nerves. It happens that a branch crunching under your feet turns out to be a human bone, and the strange outline of a person in the distance is the corpse of another hanged man.

Only two types of people voluntarily go into the depths of the “forest of death” - members special teams police officers and firefighters who comb Aokigahara every autumn in search of the remains of suicides, and even the suicides themselves.

Nowadays, no one suffers from hunger in Japan, but Aokigahara continues to play its ominous role even now. The mystical landscape and ringing silence of the legendary forest attracts those who decide to voluntarily take their own lives. In terms of the number of suicides committed annually, Aokigahara is second only to the Golden Bridge in San Francisco. Since 1970, the police officially began searching for the bodies of the dead, for which they are allocated annually from the treasury special means in the amount of 5 million yen. Once a year the police, together with large group Volunteer helpers (about 300 people) are combing the forest. It is reported that between 30 and 80 bodies are found during such raids. This means that, on average, every week someone enters this “sea of trees”, never to return... Three nearby villages, which are responsible for collecting this terrible harvest, have facilities for storing unidentified remains.
A surge in suicide pilgrimages to the Aokigahara forest was caused by the work of the writer Wataru Tsurumi “ Complete Guide on suicide,” published in 1993 and immediately became a bestseller: more than 1.2 million copies were sold in Japan. This book provides detailed description various methods of 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. Local authorities worried about unending wave of suicides

There are posters along the forest paths with the following content:

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

Local shops do not sell any means (tablets, ropes) that could be used to commit suicide. There are special patrols in the surrounding area that catch those wishing to get to Jukai as they approach. It is easy to identify those who decide to go to the forest: most often they are men in business suits.

It is impossible to say for sure how much these words reduce the number of victims, but every year dozens of new bodies are found in the forest. Of course, not everyone is found: there are also those who take their own lives in a completely uninhabited wilderness. There the remains of the weak in spirit are taken away beasts of prey making them part of this forest forever.

There are rumors about the Aokigahara forest that between the trees you can see here and there the white ghostly outlines of yurei. According to Shintoism, the souls of those who die a natural death are united with the spirits of their ancestors. Those who suffered a violent death or committed suicide become wandering ghosts - yurei. Finding no peace, they come to our world in the form of legless ghosts 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.

The mystical horror of "Suicide Forest" has inspired many writers. So, in 1960, a book by the writer Seicho Matsumoto “Wave Pagoda” (Japanese ??? Nami no to) was published in Japan, which told about a woman who once committed suicide in Aokigahara. Later, based on this novella, a television series was produced, which gained extraordinary popularity in Japan.

Why do the Japanese, who seem to live in such a prosperous country, take one of the first places in the world in the number of suicides? More often than other reasons, job loss is called. Many people say that the Japanese have become too pragmatic, and the lack of money means too much in modern world. But 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 push one to commit suicide.

Also, from ancient times, another terrible ritual has survived to this day, called in Japan “suicide by conspiracy.” This refers to the voluntary departure from life of two lovers who, for some reason, cannot be together in this world. The belief that simultaneous death will unite them in the other world is still very strong. "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 such case is described in a detective novel by the same author, Seicho Matsumoto, published in

A surge in the pilgrimage of suicides to the Aokigahara forest was caused by the work of the writer Wataru Tsurumi “The Complete Guide to Suicide” (Japanese ????????? Kanzen jisatsu manyuar), published in 1993 and immediately became a bestseller: more than 1,000 copies were sold in Japan. 2 million copies. This book provides detailed descriptions of various methods of 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.

Released in 2005 documentary"Sea of Trees" (Japanese: ??? Ki no Umi?), in which director Tomoyuki Takimoto narrates story of four people who decided to kill themselves in Aokigahara. At the 17th Tokyo International Film Festival, the film received an award in the category best film in the section “Japanese cinema. Your own view."

The Japanese metal band Screw recorded the song “The Sea of Trees”, the video clip was based on footage filmed in Aokigahara.

Aokigahara ("Plain of Green Trees"), also known as Jukai ("Sea of Trees"), is a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji on the Japanese island of Honshu.

The forest, located right at the foot of the volcano itself, is the complete opposite of the beauty and majestic tranquility of these places.

from damage.

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 riddled with fractures and numerous caves, some of which extend underground for several hundred meters, and in some of them the ice never melts.

Legends have long been written about the numerous ghosts that live in the forest. This place became notorious back in the Middle Ages, when in years 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 could not break through the dense wall of trees, and no one heard 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.

Those who decide to visit Aokigahara must have strong nerves. It happens that a branch crunching under your feet turns out to be a human bone, and the strange outline of a person in the distance is the corpse of another hanged man.

A surge in suicide pilgrimages to the Aokigahara forest was caused by the work of the writer Wataru Tsurumi, “The Complete Guide to 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 descriptions of various methods of 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.

Local authorities, concerned about the never-ending wave of suicides, placed signs along forest paths that read: “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"

It is impossible to say for sure how much these words reduce the number of victims, but every year dozens of new bodies are found in the forest. Of course, not everyone is found: there are also those who take their own lives in a completely uninhabited wilderness. There, the remains of the weak in spirit are taken away by predatory animals, making them part of this forest forever.

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 in, 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 “ Detailed Guide“how to commit 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) - favorite place Japanese youth to commit suicide - in popularity among suicides it ranks second in prize money after the San Francisco 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.

Japan has frightened the world more than once with its horror films; in fact, it draws its plots from very unique myths. It is based on the idea that a person who has died a violent death or a suicide will not simply leave this world, but will remain and take harsh revenge on the living.

ATTENTION: Viewing of this report is not recommended for the faint of heart, impressionable people, pregnant women and those under 18 years of age!

The legend that makes many Japanese perk up when they hear the word “Jukai” goes back to the Middle Ages. In times of famine, peasant families who could not feed the elderly and newborns took them to this forest to die.

In modern times, the forest has become a magnet for those who decide to commit suicide, largely due to Japanese literature. Seicho Matsumoto was one of the first to glorify the forest in his work “Dark Jukai”. Then there was the sensational book “A Detailed Guide to Committing Suicide,” which described the forest as an “ideal place” for suicide. Only some time after the publication of this work, two bodies were discovered in the forest, and with them, well-read copies of the book.

Aokigahara Jukai (青木ヶ原樹海) is a dark forest at the foot of Mount Fuji on the Japanese island of Honshu. Fuji is a dormant volcano. But in 864, an eruption occurred here, and lava flows shaped the appearance of these places. Then the forested mountain valleys of Aokigahara appeared.

Adding to the mystery is the volcanic origin of the local topography, which caused a magnetic anomaly that makes it impossible to accurately navigate there using a compass.

The land on which the forest is located is volcanic rock that is quite dense and cannot be worked with hand tools, such as hoes and shovels.

Since the 50s of the last century, the remains of more than five hundred suicides have been discovered in Jukai. An impressive figure for a forest of just over 3 hectares. More people steps into the abyss only from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Inscription on the shield: Your life is a priceless gift from your parents. Think about them and your family. You should not suffer alone. Call us 22-0110

In 2002, 78 remains of suicides were found.

The leading methods of suicide are hanging and drug poisoning.

According to eyewitnesses, it is enough to take only a few dozen steps deep into the forest from the path, and you can find things, bags, plastic bottles and packaging of tablets.

Imagine 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.

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.

On the bus they will definitely tell you to “be careful”. At any time of the year, at any hour of the day, the gloomy mass of trees hides the sun and leads one astray from the right path.

The wooded plain stretches for many kilometers and makes it difficult to navigate even from the top of the tall tree. And the sky around Fuji is often overcast. Hopes for a compass are in vain: the forest has grown by lava flows Fuji, which force the arrow to do anything except indicate the cardinal directions.

And the silence is pleasant at first, but then falls on a city dweller who is unaccustomed to silence, instilling anxiety and a feeling of helplessness.

Only two types of people voluntarily go deep into the “forest of death” - members of special teams of police and firefighters who comb Aokigahara every autumn in search of the remains of suicides, and even the suicides themselves.

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.

Many Japanese sincerely believe that if you go to Jukai, you can no longer return from there - the spirits of the dead will be lured into the thicket and will not be allowed to leave.

This is why the forest is so attractive to those who like to tickle their nerves.

The Aokigahara suicide forest is the most terrible place on the planet. Aokigahara - the last refuge of ghosts and suicides

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