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Aokigahara Forest
Japan's 'Suicide Forest' at the base of Mount Fuji. The dense trees muffle all sound. Compasses fail. Over 100 bodies are found each year. The yurei of the dead are said to wander, pulling others to join them.
Ancient - Present
Mount Fuji, Japan
1000+ witnesses
Aokigahara is Japan’s most notorious haunted forest.
The Forest
According to documented accounts:
Aokigahara:
- “Sea of Trees”
- At base of Mount Fuji
- Incredibly dense
- Sound absorbed
- Very disorienting
The Deaths
Grim statistics:
- Second most popular suicide location
- Over 100 bodies found yearly
- Signs urge reconsideration
- Patrols search regularly
- Tragic destination
The Silence
Unique property:
- Trees absorb sound
- No wildlife sounds
- Complete silence
- Extremely unsettling
- Easy to get lost
The Compass Problem
Electronics fail:
- Compasses spin
- GPS unreliable
- Magnetic anomalies
- From volcanic rock
- But adds to mystery
The Yurei
Spirits of the dead:
- Japanese ghosts
- Wander the forest
- Said to call to living
- Pull them deeper
- Join them in death
Historical Context
The tradition:
- Ubasute (abandoning elderly)
- May have occurred here
- Old legend
- Adds to atmosphere
- Centuries of death