The Suicide Woods

I had never heard of this place until I watched Destination Truth last night and they investigated this allegedly haunted forest.

The Destination Truth team hardly ever finds anything remotely resembling evidence for the bizarre creatures they set out to investigate. It’s usually just a trek to some remote area to check out folk tales told by people living far from civilization and technology.

I never expect them to actually find anything and I tune in because Gabriel and I usually get a good laugh out of the show. The content is presented by the host, Josh Gates, in a funny and light hearted way while still trying to maintain a degree of legitimacy as rational “scientific” research.

Last night was a little different though...

Sheltering below the glacial beauty of Japan's great Mount Fuji is the ancient Aokigahara forest.

It is a mystical place full of myth and legend.

It is said that because of the magnetic composition of the soil, compasses do not give accurate readings; and many campers never find their way out of the sea of trees.

It was also described as "The perfect place to die." in Wataru Tsurumui's bestselling book The Complete Manual of Suicide and countless people have traveled there to end their lives in the roaring silence of those archaic woods.

The sad and senseless evidence of wasted lives can be found throughout the woods. Partly decomposed bodies hang from trees and others are found strewn across the forest floors like so many broken, discarded dolls.

The Aikogahara council has posted many anti-suicide signs with slogans like "Please reconsider" and "Think about those you will leave behind", but these deterrents have done little to stop the determined so the council makes regular forays into the forest to collect the bodies, where they are removed and laid to rest.

When we saw The Grudge I yelled out loud and punched at the screen (yes, it's embarrassing, but true) during the scene when a lump forms underneath the covers and the lady lifts the sheets only to find herself staring into the face of a ghost, so you can imagine how creeped out I was when the Destination Truth gang recorded what appeared to me to look like Kayako Saeki manifesting herself and then disappearing beside a tree.

I couldn't find a video of it to post, but trust me, it was freaky.

Season and I have talked about traveling to Japan someday, but if we ever do I am not going anywhere near those evil freakin' woods!