Aokigahara: Suicide Forest
Posted in: Society
The Aokigahara Forest is the most popular site for suicides in Japan. After the novel Kuroi Jukai was published, in which a young lover commits suicide in the forest, people started taking their own lives there at a rate of 50 to 100 deaths a year. The site holds so many bodies that the Yakuza pays homeless people to sneak into the forest and rob the corpses. The authorities sweep for bodies only on an annual basis, as the forest sits at the base of Mt. Fuji and is too dense to patrol more frequently.
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December 15, 2011 at 1:12 am | anonymouse
damn, the japanese even suicide orderly
December 15, 2011 at 7:18 am | Cezanne Broad
This documentary really touched me and made me so sad…. though I am glad there are people like him who volunteer there time to try and help these people see there are other solutions and that people do care and that people care… But it is so sad there are not enough people doing it and that they can only manage it once or twice a year… How very very sad….
I know for a fact that in Japan suicide rates are the one of the highest in the world especially in the youth due to excessive levels of pressure they are under at such a young age by there family. If they do not live up to the standards of what there parents tell them must do career wise, life wise. If they fail or not live up to there expectations they feel they are a disgrace to there family and society.
The hours of schooling, pressure and discipline they are under starts as young as 3 and goes up to uni… I have seen what it does… i went to uni with many and saw the fear in them if they even just got a credit they explained how much preasure they were under.. the more I studied how it was in japan the more i realised how high depression was though many families would not dare say it for fear of shame… Hence why some felt that sucide was more honorable way to leave, so as not to disgrace there families honor. as they were taught that thats how heros died… ..
How I wish and pray they would see the psychological damage they do there children. I have even read that when school starts the gates close automatically nothing stops it and each year children die being jammed my the gates closing… YEt nothing is changing cause they view it as a form of discipline…
Please do not see me as having racist veiws… no its quite the contrary I love Japanese people and have many friends of them… it just really saddens me seeing this documentary cause it one thing to be told and to read of such thing but to see it is another…
December 15, 2011 at 11:59 am | Maxwell Muckas
everybody jus gotta watch doco’s, changed my views and direction in my life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRxxe0tO61c&feature=channel_video_title
December 28, 2011 at 7:57 pm | Cezanne Broad
agreed
March 1, 2012 at 7:20 pm | kris
Of course some and depending on different cases even most the pressure comes some from the parents, but its really the collective spirit which is too blame. Even when its the parents forcing/pressuring their child you must remember that they are not the cause, only the outcome of a collective value system of only the highest standards being honorable in order to be viewed as a person of intergrity and even wealth.
We have this to a certain degree in the west as well, you are shamed if you are a parent and have failed as one. You have failed as a parent unless you take your child to 3-6 different sports/music groups in one week so that you can brag about it the parties or other social Collective events where you get to show off yourself and be judged by your peers.
For this reason its better to be only accountable to either a personal value, religious value, ethical value or yes God. The only thing I expect and pressure my child to be is a good person who is nice to others and can live a decent life, and by that I dont mean material life but ethical life.
I dont care about being judged by others, only God.
If Japanese would stop being so collective they would see a high drop of suicide rates. Really to love your child based on their academic/atheltic performance is despicable.
December 15, 2011 at 11:39 am | Maxwell Muckas
strange, epic n good viewing! soo inspirational I wrote a song about it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRxxe0tO61c&feature=channel_video_title
December 16, 2011 at 4:20 am | Robobo
this is a really well put together and well shot doc
the sound is spot on, the music is good, quality all around
December 16, 2011 at 6:13 am | Effik
i only one japanese person who killed themself… and she did it in the states…
December 16, 2011 at 9:59 pm | Stumpy2k99
Really interesting doc, bit sad, but beautifully done!
December 19, 2011 at 4:45 am | slurricane mane
thank you based god
December 23, 2011 at 5:26 am | Cook-laura
Nice doc. I didn’t know there were wood thrushes in Japan.
January 20, 2012 at 7:02 am | Interested
This is a touching doc. Does anyone else know of any about this same forrest?
March 13, 2012 at 9:52 am | Half Japanese
Excellent documentary, filmed with taste and decency about such a sensitive subject. The suicide patrol man is so modest about the number of lives he has saved during his watch. What a lovely, caring individual….
March 15, 2012 at 2:28 pm | Dave Ricketts
Within You Is The Strength
To Meet Life’s Challenges!
You are stronger than you think,
remember to stand tall.
Every challenge in your life
helps you to grow.
Every problem you encounter
strengthens your mind and your soul.
Every trouble you overcome
increases your understanding of life.
When all your troubles weigh
heavily on your shoulders,
remember that beneath the burden
you can stand tall,
because you are never given
more than you can handle…
and you are stronger than you think.
~ Lisa Wroble
April 3, 2012 at 10:14 pm | zektornklax
good doc. Thanks. <3