The Aokigahara Forest

Aokigahara, the “Sea of Trees,” spreads across the northwest base of Mount Fuji. This dense forest, grown from hardened lava flows, has become one of the world’s most common suicide locations. Japanese folklore has long associated it with demons and death, and modern visitors report encounters with the spirits of those who died there.

The Forest

Aokigahara grew from lava that flowed from Mount Fuji in 864 CE. The volcanic substrate creates a maze-like forest where sunlight barely penetrates and compass needles spin uselessly. The density of vegetation absorbs sound, creating an unnatural silence.

The forest has been associated with death for centuries. The practice of ubasute—abandoning elderly relatives during famine—may have occurred here in ancient times.

The Tragedy

Since the 1950s, hundreds of people have taken their lives in Aokigahara. The forest saw such frequent tragedies that authorities post signs urging visitors to reconsider, providing suicide prevention hotline numbers.

Annual searches recover remains from the forest floor. Personal belongings—shoes, bags, photographs—are found throughout.

The Haunting

Visitors report ghostly encounters across the forest. Apparitions appear among the trees. Voices call out when no one is present. The sensation of being watched or followed persists regardless of companion.

Some believe the spirits of suicide victims remain trapped in the forest, unable to move on due to the violence of their deaths. Others suggest the forest itself is malevolent, drawing vulnerable people to self-destruction.

Cultural Context

Japanese culture maintains a complex relationship with death and spirits. The concept of yūrei—ghosts of those who died with unfinished business—is deeply embedded in tradition. Aokigahara, with its accumulated tragedy, seems a natural home for such spirits.

Assessment

Aokigahara’s haunting is inseparable from its ongoing tragedy. The forest is a place of genuine death, where real people have ended their lives and where bodies still lie among the trees.

Whether the spirits of the dead truly walk there, or whether the weight of so much sorrow creates psychological effects that visitors interpret as supernatural, Aokigahara is haunted in every meaningful sense.