15 Things About Japan’s Suicide Forest That Will Terrify You

8. Aokigahara’s Myths Are Older Than Most People Know

Japan’s history is full of sadistic and terrible acts that were carried out in the name of honor or desperation. That’s not to say that the rest of the world doesn’t have its fair share of awful moments throughout history, but certain methods used in Japan were darker than others. Ubasute, for example, is a practice that is thankfully no longer conducted, if it ever really was. Nevertheless, it exists as a scar on the history of Japan. Ubasute was enacted under very harsh conditions back in ancient times. In cases of famine, families would try to lower the amount of people that needed to be fed by taking or leading an elderly person in the family up a mountain or to a remote place where the relative would then die from any number of ways, such as starvation, dehydration, or simply exposure. There are those who insist that this method was only used in tales and myths. However, some suggest that Aokigahara was used for such purposes due to the terrain and isolation of the area.

7. The Suicide Forest Is Believed To Be Haunted

With so many suicides and beliefs that the deaths of Ubasute happened in the Sea of Trees, it probably comes as no surprise that many strongly believe this place carries spirits and bad energy. People from all over the world say they have seen, heard, and felt things throughout the forest. Among these spirits are believed to be what the Japanese call yurei. They are spirits of those who have killed themselves and they are described in myths and stories to be vengeful and tormenting. They taunt and follow the living as they walk through the forest, trying their best to make people stray from the path. According to the folklore, they don’t go for those who have a great spot in life. The yurei torment those who are struggling with deep sadness or those who have suicidal tendencies. It’s these people that the yurei prefer above all else.

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