KOED realms: AIKIGAHARA FOREST
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Aokigahara Forest

Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees, is a 35-square-kilometre (14 sq mi) forest that lies at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan. The forest contains a number of rocky, icy caverns, a few of which are popular tourist destinations. Due to the wind-blocking density of the trees and an absence of wildlife, the forest is known for being eerily quiet.

The forest has a historic association with demons in Japanese mythology and is a popular place for suicides; 54 completed the act in 2010,despite numerous signs, in Japanese and English, urging people to reconsider their actions

The forest is a popular place for suicides, reportedly the most popular in Japan and second in the world after San Francisco′s Golden Gate Bridge.Statistics vary. In the period leading up to 1988, about 100 suicides occurred there every year.

In 2002, 78 bodies were found within the forest, exceeding the previous record of 74 in 1998. In 2003, the rate climbed to 100, and in recent years, the local government has stopped publicizing the numbers in an attempt to downplay Aokigahara′s association with suicide. In 2004, 108 people killed themselves in the forest. In 2010, 247 people attempted suicide in the forest, 54 of whom completed the act. Suicides are said to increase during March, the end of the fiscal year in Japan. As of 2011, the most popular means of suicide in the forest were hanging and drug overdoses.

The high rate of suicide has led officials to place signs in the forest, in Japanese and English, urging those who have gone there to commit suicide to seek help and not kill themselves. The annual body search, consisting of a small army of police, volunteers, and attendant journalists, began in 1970.

The site′s popularity has been attributed to the 1960 novel Nami no T\f2\u333? (\f1\′94\′67\′82\′cc\′93\′83?, lit., "Tower of Waves") by Seich\f2\u333? Matsumoto, which ends with two lovers committing suicide in the forest. However, the history of suicide in Aokigahara predates the novel′s publication, and the place has long been associated with death: ubasute may have been practiced there into the 19th century, and the forest is reputedly haunted by the Y\u363?rei (angry spirits) of those left to die.[9]

In 2008, members of the American television programme Destination Truth visited and investigated Aokigahara

Signs emblazoned with messages such as "Please reconsider" and "Please consult the police before you decide to die!" are nailed to trees throughout the forest. However, the woods have such a reputation that these minor deterrents do little to stop the determined. Local residents say they can always tell who is going into the forest for its stunning natural beauty, who is hunting after the macabre and who is planning never to return. 

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