Aokigahara Forest

When it comes to haunted places in Japan, nothing is more terrifying and mysterious than the Aokigahara Forest. It is extremely well-known worldwide, aptly nicknamed as “The Suicide Forest”, Aokigahara has the unfortunate distinction of being the second most popular place for suicides in the world. For decades, thousands of people have attempted to kill themselves in this mystical forest.

History: A few hundred Japanese businessmen have wandered in the forest determined not to leave it since the 1950s. Much of the media attributes the ‘popularity’ of the forest to Seicho Matsumoto’s novel Kuroi Jukai, which ends with a joint suicide of its characters in Aokigahara. A more practical explanation would be the fact that once you enter the “Sea of Trees” it is rare for you to come across anyone else. Several years ago the police decided to place a number of signs in the forest in the hopes of curbing the suicide attempts. The signs are an eerie reminder of the forest’s macabre stories.

Only adding to the creepiness is the presence of Wara Ningyou which are little straw dolls that people use like a voodoo doll. By nailing one to a tree you place a curse on that special loathed person of yours.