Aokigahara is the forest at the foot of Mount Fuji. It’s mythologized in Japanese literature as a sacred place for people to end their lives — and every year close to a hundred suicides are committed there. Studio 360’s Pejk Malinovski went there to uncover why it lingers in the Japanese psyche.
→ See a slideshow of pictures from Aokigahara below
(Originally aired: January 30, 2009)
Slideshow: Inside the Suicide Forest
Music Playlist
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Ikebana
Artist: David Spalding SharpAlbum: Aokigahara - Spirit of the Haunted ForestLabel: idlewild recordings -
Ryumei Cho
Artist: David Spalding SharpAlbum: Aokigahara - Spirit of the Haunted ForestLabel: idlewild recordings
Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees, lies at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. It is one of the most common sites in the world for suicides, second only to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
(Pejk Malinovski)
Tom O'Brian shows a find in the Aokigahara forest: a mix tape.
(Pejk Malinovski)
Yamada Yoshifumi was born near Aokigahara. Like many other locals, Yoshifumi was a volunteer firefighter and has collected several bodies from the forest.
(Pejk Malinovski)
A sign in Aokigahara reads: "Your life is a precious gift from your parents. Think about them and the rest of your family. You don't have to suffer alone. Call us 555-22-0110."
(Pejk Malinovski)