Surely you have already seen the trailer for the film entitled precisely 'The forest of suicides'. It was seeing it on the Internet and it led me to remember that something I had read that near the Mount Fuji in Japan there was a place where people went to commit suicide, and precisely this movie is based on the existence of that forest of suicides.
If you come from a superstitious culture and with many legends and beliefs, you will understand that these topics attract you. So I started looking for more information about this mysterious forest in which people go to commit suicide or let yourself die. It is found in the town of Aokigahara, and yes, it does exist and from time to time they find bodies deep in the vegetation. It's certainly a good start to a horror movie, but it's real.
This forest has a history that goes back centuries. Already in poems from a thousand years ago it appears as a cursed forest, and it is a place that is historically associated with the demons of japanese mythology. An area full of mystery and legends that many choose as their last place. But it was not always a pilgrimage site for suicide bombers.
In the XNUMXth century, epidemics and famines they caused many poor families who could not feed children and the elderly to choose this dense forest as a space to leave them to their fate. Obviously, they did not leave there, and the place created a reputation as an enchanted forest, in which the ghosts of all these abandoned people stayed.
Already in the twentieth century, it began to be a place for suicide, especially since in 1993 Wataru Tsurumi published 'The Complete Suicide Manual', where he recommended this forest on the slopes of Mount Fuji as an ideal place to carry out suicide. The figures speak for themselves, and since 1950 more than 500 bodies have been found. The record was set in 2003, with 100 people found dead that year in the forest. Since then, the town of Aokigahara stopped publishing the statistics, so that the place was no longer associated with the very high suicide rate, although these continue to occur.
Many say that the place is haunted and as such attracts suicide bombers inside. But of course they are popular beliefs and legends. In general, it can also be said that there may be other reasons. One of them is that it is a very dense forest, called 'Sea of Trees', in which you can find complete tranquility to find death if that is what you want, and very close to the city of Tokyo, since no noise is heard inside due to the thick vegetation. Another possibility that is considered is economic, since in Japan, the family of the person who commits suicide must bear the expenses that this produces. That is, if they commit suicide by jumping onto the train tracks, they will have to pay for delays, compensation, etc. The forest becomes an inexpensive place to die.
Surprisingly, this is the place with the most suicides in Japan, and the second in the world, after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. And Japan is also the third country in the world with a very high suicide rate, after South Korea and Hungary. There are many reasons why this may be the case, be it the economic crisis, the culture in which complaining is not possible, or the increased isolation of young people.
Whatever the reasons, the suicide rate in the forest area has remained stable during these years in which statistics have been provided. More than 300 workers go into the forest every year in search of the bodies of people who have decided to kill themselves in this forest. In fact, this practice is so popular that there are signs in English and Japanese warning to those who are going to enter the forest with this destination. Let us think once more about the life that was given to you, your parents, your brothers and sisters, and the children. Do not suffer alone, first, contact someone ", are some of the phrases that can be read on these dire posters. If you do not know the history of the forest, it is something that will surprise you, although of course a walk through this forest is not something very pleasant, especially considering that we can find human remains on our way.
There is a official trail to hike, and on the way it is also possible to see restricted areas, with signs that indicate that it is not possible to pass and sealed areas. If you are not from the area, it is best to keep going, since it is possible and easy to get lost in the dense forest. Although if I ever visit Mount Fuji, I do not intend to set foot in such a sinister forest. And you, would you go into the forest of suicides?