Random Haunting Facts About Japan's Suicide Forest (15 items)

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  (#12) The Suicide Epidemic Has a Concrete Origin

  While people had been committing suicide in Aokigahra for decades, the epidemic first started to be tracked in the 1950s. It didn't truly become a national problem until 1960, when author Seicho Matsumoto published a novel called Kuroi Kaiju (Black Sea of Trees) in 1960. The story ends with two lovers committing suicide in the forest, and a noticeable uptick in suicides was seen afterwards.Wataru Tsurumui’s controversial 1993 bestseller The Complete Suicide Manual recommended Aokigahara as the perfect place to die, and the book is often found near suicide victims and their belongings.
  
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  (#13) Anti-Suicide Signs Are Everywhere

  Japanese authorities know of the forest's reputation for suicides, but can do little about it. Aokigahara is open to the public and would be impossible to close off. What they have done is put up numerous signs around the forest discouraging wouldbe suicides. The signs have encouraging messages like “Your life is a precious gift from your parents,” "Think of your family!" and “Please consult with the police before you decide to die."
  
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  (#5) Aokigahara Has More Than Trees

  While it's famous for its impenetrable canopy of trees, Aokigahara also has a number of astounding natural features. The most prominent are its deep, icy caverns, such as Narusawa Ice Cave, and Wind Cave. Hikers can go deep underground and encounter sheets, columns, and pillars of ice - all hovering at freezing temperatures.
  
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  (#1) The Forest Is In the Shadow of Mount Fuji

  Located at the base of Mount Fuli, Aokigahara is a thick canopy of trees, with a hard floor made of compressed volcanic rock. The soil is so thick and packed together that it's virtually impossible to dig into. Combine featureless ground with thickly packed leaves, and hikers easily lose their way.

  Not only that, but iron deposits in the volcanic soil render GPS and cell phones useless. It's extremely easy to get lost in the "Sea of Trees."
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  (#4) It's Also Devoid of Wildlife

  Virtually no wild animals live in Aokigahara. The denseness of the trees makes it difficult for animals to make their way into and around it, and there's little for them to eat when there. Any animals that do live in the dense foliage are nocturnal, and are never seen by humans.

  The trees are so thick that birds are rarely seen, and hikers have spoken about how startled they are when they actually do hear a bird chirp.
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  (#7) Nobody Knows How Many Suicides Have Taken Place There

  Like the Golden Gate Bridge, Japanese authorities don't publish the exact numbers of suicides that take place in Aokigahara, in order to stop it from becoming even more popular. But unlike Golden Gate Bridge, and other popular suicide sites, the true number isn't actually known by anyone.

  While forest workers find about 70 corpses every year, it's thought that many others are simply gone, swallowed up by the thick vegetation on the ground.

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