Aokigahara
Forest in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Aokigahara?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Aokigahara (青木ヶ原, 'Blue Tree Meadow'), also known as the Sea of Trees (樹海, Jukai), is a forest on the northwestern flank of Mount Fuji on the island of Honshu in Japan, thriving on 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi) of hardened lava laid down by the last major eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 CE.[1] The western edge of Aokigahara, where there are several caves that fill with ice in winter, is a popular destination for tourists and school trips. Parts of Aokigahara are very dense, and the porous lava rock absorbs sound, contributing to a sense of solitude that some visitors attribute to the forest.[2]
Aokigahara | |
---|---|
Aokigahara Mount Fuji | |
Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest |
Geography | |
Area | 35 km2 (14 sq mi) |
Country | Japan |
Prefecture | Yamanashi Prefecture |
Coordinates | 35°28′12″N 138°37′11″E |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Relatively stable/Relatively intact |
The forest has a historical reputation as a home to yūrei: ghosts of the dead in Japanese mythology. At least since the 1960s, Aokigahara has become associated with suicide, eventually becoming known in English by the nickname "Suicide Forest" and gaining a reputation as one of the world's most-used suicide sites. Because of this, signs at the head of some trails urge suicidal visitors to think of their families and contact a suicide prevention association.