japan
haunted Places in japan Map
Minamitsuru District
Aokigahara Forest “The Suicide Forest”
Narusawa, Fujiawaguchiko
Status: Natural Wonder; Suicide Site; World Famous Haunted Forest; Urban Legend
By <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/32740887@N04">Simon</a> from Quebec, Canada - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/simonippon/4628501899/">DSC_4502</a>, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
This article contains content which may be found to be disturbing to some readers. What is written here is to provide information only on a purportedly paranormally active area in the world.
If you are feeling that suicide could be a solution to what you are dealing with please close this article now and immediately call a local or national suicide prevention line immediately.
History
Also known as the “Sea Of Trees” this forest at the base of Mt Fuji in Japan covers 35 square kilometres. The forest contains a number of rocky and icy caverns; some of which have become popular with tourists.
The dark side of this forest is that has also become a popular place for suicides. In fact, it is now the second most popular place in the world to commit suicide, taking over from Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s Bloor Viaduct after a veil was put up to prevent jumpers (San Francisco, California, USA’s Golden Gate Bridge still ranks number one). There are up to 105 suicides in the forest per year.
Suicides are on the rise in Japan due to world wide economic recession (the forest averaged 30 suicides a year in the 1990′s and has now increased to an average of 70 since 2002) despite a number of signs erected in Japanese and English in the forest by police asking people to reconsider and get help. There is an annual body hunt conducted in the forest to look for bodies which has left the edge of the forest littered with caution tape and other litter.
Deeper in the forest it becomes more pristine and the trees became thicker. Many thrill seekers have also died after getting lost in the forest or having an accident. Due to the immense number of trees blocking the wind and very little wildlife this forest is almost unnaturally quiet. it is not uncommon to find human bones scattered here.
This is considered the most haunted place in Japan. At least 500 people have killed themselves in the forest and that is not including the accidental deaths.
The forest is approximately 30 – 40 minutes by car from the Kawaguchiko Station.
Paranormal Activity
Since prehistorical times the forest has had a reputation as containing demons and other dark forces.
Numerous accounts of all kinds of paranormal activity have been reported here including: apparitions (including those that interact with the living), disembodied voices, light anomalies, shadow figures, feelings of intense unease, of not being wanted and of being watched, touches by unseen forces, mysterious mists, disembodied voices and conversations, phantom screams and cries and cold spots.
Many people have reported a feeling that the forest is calling to them and luring them in. This is much like reports from Niagara Falls – a sensation I have actually felt more than once from the falls.
nichitsu ghost town
NICHITSU TOWN CLINIC
Nichitsu Ghost Town (Haikyo)
Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Status: Former Mining Town; Abandoned
Link to a Map Showing the Location of the Ghost Town
It is Identified by a Red Dot
History
In 1937 the nearby mine was purchased by the Nichitsu Company and construction of what was called Nichitsu City was begun. There seems to be a number of important minerals mined out of this area including everything from tin to silver to gold.
The population would peak in the mid-1960’s at about 3000 people. The mine owners and managers had nice homes high on the hills with views and access to sunlight whereas the workers cottages were in the bottom of the valley with very little light and not even bathrooms.
The town contained everything any other town would like a gym, a theatre and a medical clinic/hospital. While there has been paranormal activity reported throughout the former town the majority is reported in the medical clinic which is called the Nichitsu Town Clinic.
By 1978 the town was completely abandoned. Although there has never been any official reason given it is assumed the mines stopped being economically feasible. Based on reports of people who have explored the site since 2000 there is a lot of evidence that the town was occupied again in the 1990’s. Occupied primarily by young men based on the amount of manga, old Nintendo consoles and porn that has been left behind.
People who have visited since 2015 have reported 2 conditions of interest to other explorers: 1) there appears to be human activity in the mines again; 2) the condition of the town is deteriorating quickly now.
All visitors need to be extremely careful when entering any of the buildings as they are falling apart.
Paranormal Activity
The Clinic is located on the edge of town and getting harder and harder to find as the forest grows up around it.
In the past the Clinic was filled with jars – most of which contained preserved human organs – the most famous of which was the Nichitsu Brain. The Brain is no longer in the Clinic and its disappearance is a hot subject to this day on a number of Japanese forms and blogs.
The most often encountered ghosts are those of 2 little girls who generally stay in the vicinity of the Clinic. Their apparitions are seen most often by other children – who they usually tell to run and hide – but are seen by adults as well.
Both when they are seen and when unseen they are usually reported as either laughing or crying; sometimes they switch between both. Curiously we have no reports where either girl is alone – they are always together.
Objects are also reported as moving on their own in the Clinic but this is difficult to prove as all the buildings in the town are open to the air and any wind. There are also many reports throughout the town – most commonly in the Clinic area – of the feeling that someone just left the room you just walked into despite no one else being in the entire town.
Being in the mountains; fog and mist is very common in the valley and can appear very quickly without warning. When the fog moves in visitors have reported something moving quickly through the mists that does not respond to anyone calling out and always stays out of reach.
Other Activity: electrical disturbances; disembodied voices; unexplained noises; light anomalies and feelings of being watched and not being wanted.
YOMITAN
CHIBICHIRI GAMA
(Chibichiri Cave)
1153-1 Namihira
Okinawa, Japan 904-0322
On a side note, for those who say this could never happen again in 1987 a group of right-wing ultra-nationalist activists attacked the cave destroying part of the shrine set up here in remembrance.
They said it insulted the Emperor.
The woman in charge of the keeping the caves safe said “I’m not anti-Japanese, I’m anti-lies”
History
In World War II on April 1, 1945 US Forces began the land invasion of Okinawa. This was after many days of shelling from the ships off-shore as well as low and high level bombing.
The civilians on the island had heard nothing but Japanese propaganda for many years now and were convinced the American soldiers would rape, murder and torture any civilian they found – it needs to be said this was exactly how the Imperial Japanese Army acted throughout the war. They were, therefore, absolutely terrified and fled their cities and town and went into hiding.
The Japanese Army told the civilian population to commit suicide rather than be taken by the Americans and passed out poison and hand grenades to the civilians. They were told there was greater glory in dying by their own hands for their Emperor.
140 civilians took shelter in the Chibichiri Cave and when they US forces approached the cave, they used a translator to assure the civilians they would be safe. Of course, they were not believed and some of civilians tried to attack the Americans with bamboo spears – they were shot by the Americans in defense. Unavoidable, but it didn’t help the growing concern.
Then the unthinkable happened.
One 18-year-old girl cried out, “mommy kill me! Don’t let them rape me!” Her mother, of course, did as asked and this set off a wave of parents killing their children to protect them. 84 of the 140 people in the cave died.
Paranormal Activity
This location is posted on many lists of the most haunted in Asia but that does seem to be related to the activity but rather to make sure we never forget and that something like this never happens again.
Lest we forget. . .
While entry into the cave is now forbidden there are quite a few bones and skulls of the children who were killed in terror by their own parents. Understandably, the residents of Okinawa objected to the remains of their ancestors being treated like a carnival sideshow.
The outside of the cave is still accessible and filled with shrines to the horror that took place.
People report an overwhelming and overpowering feeling of sadness – many people are brought to tears and have to leave.
Misty apparitions were seen in the cave and now are occasionally seen fearfully looking out of the cave. Disembodied voices, whispers of help and screams are also reported to come out of the cave.