A Sea of Trees

I am always on the lookout for an interesting story and when I was told about the creepy Aokigahara Forest in Japan, I wanted to find out more.

The Aokigahara Forest is at the base of Mount Fuji.  Not only is it a popular tourist attraction, but it is a place where some visitors go in and never come out.

This destination is ranked second for the most popular suicide location.

The first location, just in case you are morbidly curious, is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a visitor to come across the remains of a suicide victim, in various stages of decomposition, or the remnants of yellow tape and flowers left by loved ones, letting you know this area was once a crime scene.

I don’t know who would have it worse? The poor soul who discovers the body or the forest rangers who must retrieve the body and then according to legend, sleep in the same room with the deceased!  Yes, you read it correctly, share a room with the dead!

Their belief is that the suicide victim’s ghost or “Yurei”, if left alone, will rise from the dead and roam around while screaming throughout the night!   Pretty freaky, n’est pas?

However, it’s not just the suicide victims who haunt this eerie forest.  It is haunted by hikers, who have lost their way some say due to compasses not working because of the rich, volcanic soil that contains high deposits of magnetic iron and also haunted by the victims of Ubasute.  Uba what?  Ubasute!

Ubasute was a tradition of the Japanese for centuries and now is outlawed.  The tradition consisted of a family member, who was either elderly or impaired, being brought to the forest and left to die.  Such a shame.

It is hard to believe that something so beautiful as this forest with its towering trees, caves and even a waterfall while in full view of a majestic mountain is scarred by something so ugly….death.

With much paranormal love,

~Mallie Fox