Local legend has it that Aokigahara was a place where people once practiced ubasute —taking an elderly or sick relative to a remote area and leaving them to die. The Suicide Forest, as it is also referred to, is clearly a place that captures the darker side of the imagination. Photographer Tomasz Lazar first heard about the forest when he was in middle school and a fan of sci-fi and horror films.
Later, when conceiving " Sea of Trees ," a project based around the theme of consequences, he thought again about Aikogahara, and what he found to be the romanticism of tragedy occurring in a place of such beauty. For Lazar, the forest became a way to explore the consequences of depression in a country like Japan, which culturally neither shares the openness of discussing mental health issues nor the same stigma around suicide as exists in the West.
With the help of guides, Lazar ventured into areas of the forest where suicides most often occur, following lines of plastic tape tied to trees by rescue workers to mark where they have found something, or as an escape route for people who have not fully made up their minds to go through it.
After a high number of suicides were reported in a total of , officials stopped publicizing deaths for fear of glorifying the practice. Yamanashi prefecture, where the forest is located, began hiring people in to patrol the forest and approach anyone who might not look like the average tourist out on a hike.
While this has helped discourage suicide in some cases, there are ongoing reports of bodies being discovered—his guide Toru Kurihara once discovered 36 bodies over a period of 37 days, Lazar says. Lazar's aim however was not to photograph the death directly but capture the overall feeling of the place. He chose to photograph using black and white infrared film, which makes trees and vegetation appear with a white glow.
White is the symbol of death and mourning in Japan. You can see more of Tomasz Lazar's work on his website. All rights reserved. This is a very easy place to get lost. Visitors are strongly encouraged to stay on the trails. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Signs of an extreme planet found in another galaxy. Science Signs of an extreme planet found in another galaxy An odd x-ray signal hints that a Saturn-size world could be the first known planet lurking in the Whirlpool Galaxy 28 million light-years away.
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Aokigahara's unique terrain is the result of the eruption of Mount Fuji in CE. Many of the pathways in the forest are made of hardened lava. The Suicide Forest is so well-known that it's frequently referenced in books, games, songs, and other media. Because of Aokigahara's popularity, annual searches are held to look for new bodies. Made up of local law enforcement, forest workers, and volunteers, the searches are generally conducted before the holidays.
Many people camping in the forest will be approached by suicide prevention patrols. Many assume that campers in the forest are undecided about whether or not to take their own lives, so they're routinely checked in on—if they're found, that is.
According to one source , the bodies are held in a special room guarded by forest workers until they are collected or properly disposed of. In many cases, forest workers will stay overnight with the corpses. A recent government report claims that between and alone, more than people who weren't from the areas directly surrounding Aokigahara Forest killed themselves in the forest.
The local government has made valiant efforts to discourage visitors of Aokigahara Forest from committing suicide. One way in which they attempted to do this was by halting the publication of annual data reporting the number of suicide victims found in the forest.
In addition to frequent patrols of the forest, the local government has implemented anti-suicide measures , including teaching volunteers how to talk to suicidal visitors to the forest and raising railings on bridges to dissuade jumping. The name by which Aokigahara is known locally, jukai, means "sea of trees. This cave, which remains frozen year-round, has an average temperature of just Think you're an advanced enough hiker to leave the trails and navigate Aokigahara alone? Think again. Even experienced hikers are cautioned against going off on their own, and many leave tape on trees along the way to ensure they can follow the same path out of the forest.
While many hikers may not see evidence of animal or insect life in the forest, it's there. In fact, Aokigahara Forest is home to more than nine species of butterfly. Because of the density of the trees and the lava floor, the forest is surprisingly quiet.
In fact, many people claim that screams are virtually undetectable in the forest. It is over feet long and serves as one of the forest's more popular tourist destinations. Logan Paul may have introduced many of his fans to the Suicide Forest, but his video taken in Aokigahara had some serious repercussions for the YouTube star. After posting his video depicting a dead body in the forest, numerous sponsors stopped working with him and he lost his Google Preferred status with YouTube.
While you may not encounter a dead body in the Suicide Forest, that doesn't mean you won't find hints that they were there.
The Japanese government has implemented a number of measures to reduce suicide rates in the country. Some measures put in place in Aokigahara include increased patrols, security cameras, and signs with positive messages spread throughout the forest. Most people who commit suicide in the forest choose to hang themselves on trees. Death by drug overdose caused by sleeping pills is the second most common suicide method.
Police and volunteers patrol the area every year searching for bodies. These searches have been held since Aokigahara forest is so dense that visitors use tape to mark their path. Getting lost in this forest can be fatal. Aokigahara's soil is rich in magnetic iron, which greatly affects communications. Cellphones, GPS, and even compasses might not work at all in the forest. Should you visit this forest, make sure you follow the marked public paths. You might find some disturbing things if you wander deep into the woods.
But not everyone who visits Aokigahara is contemplating suicide. Many people visit the forest to enjoy the breathtaking views of Mount Fuji. See also: Amazing facts about the Land of the Rising Sun. Stars stunned by 'mismanaged set' in fatal prop-gun shooting. Ad Microsoft. Full screen. The chilling history of Japan's suicide forest Every year, up to corpses are found in Japan 's Aokigahara forest, making it one of the world's most popular suicide spots.
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