Kaitlyn Rand, Alycia Salas, & Angelica Trujillo February 12, 2019
The Suicide Forest
The Suicide Forest, also known as the Aokigahara Forest located in Japan is one of the most popular places to die by suicide in the nation. This forest is reputedly haunted by the yurei of those left to die. Estimates claim that 100 people a year have killed themselves there. However, there have been claims that it is a lot deeper than someone just going to the forest to commit suicide. In the movie ‘The Forest,’ which is a true story based on the Suicide Forest, a woman’s sister disappears while in Japan, so she sets out to look for her, only to find the hauntings that occur in the forest. They ended up driving her crazy, to the point that she killed herself. A lot of people go there for tours and wind up missing. Not every person goes there to commit suicide; some just simply go on tours and never return. It is also known that the forest is extremely easy to get lost in, because it’s a very dense forest. There have been a lot of questions about why most people commit suicide at that particular forest. Experts have considered that question and have explored the suicide forest surivors. They have examined that most people chose that forest to have a place to die without being noticed. In 2018, a famous YouTuber took a tour to the suicide forest and taped his adventure. In the video, he tapes what appears to be a body hanging from the tree. Before you even enter the forest, there is a sign that says, “Quietly think once more about your parents, siblings, or children,” and one that says, “Don’t suffer alone, and reach out,” to try to discourage people from making the wrong choice. Those signs themselves prove that a lot of suicides and negativity occur in that forest. When you go on the tour, there is always someone who goes with, like a park ranger. They guide you through the forest, until a certain time; after that time they encourage you to go back, but if you refuse, you are now at your own risk. There have been claims that after dawn, that is when the yurei spirits arise.