Lost and Found in a Sea of Trees

Aokigahara is beautiful, eerie, and unforgettable — a place where silence feels louder than sound.

At the northwestern base of Mount Fuji lies Aokigahara, the Sea of Trees (Jukai). Its floor is hardened lava from Fuji’s 864 CE eruption, leaving rocky, uneven ground carpeted with moss. The trees are so dense that wind is muffled and sunlight barely touches the forest floor, creating an atmosphere that is both peaceful and unnervingly still.

A Forest Full of Stories

Japanese folklore says Aokigahara is home to yūrei — restless spirits of those who died with anger, sadness, or unfinished business. They are described wearing white funeral robes (shiroshōzoku), with long black hair — the same ghostly image seen in kabuki plays and horror films. Some stories warn that these spirits lure travelers deeper into the forest until they lose their way.

During times of famine, legend says some families abandoned the elderly in the forest — a practice called ubasute. Historians debate how true this was, but the story lingers, a reminder of how desperate survival could become in centuries past.

A Place of Reflection

Today, Aokigahara is sadly known as a place where some go to end their lives. Authorities and volunteers patrol the trails and post signs with helpline numbers, encouraging visitors to reconsider. Walking here, you can feel the weight of those stories, as if the forest itself remembers.

A Different Kind of Visit

But Aokigahara is not only a place of sorrow. Well-marked trails guide visitors to the Narusawa Ice Cave and the Fugaku Wind Cave, where the air stays icy even in summer. The forest canopy — mostly hemlock, cypress, and Japanese red pine — creates a twilight world that invites quiet reflection.

The Forest Lets You Go

It’s easy to get lost here, and that’s part of the magic. The forest swallows hurry and leaves you with stillness. When you finally step back into the sunlight at the edge of the trees, you may feel lighter — as though the Sea of Trees let you wander not just where you wanted, but where you need to be.