Justine Lybarger

Aokigahara and Aku-Aoi Manto

It's called the sea of trees, but to everyone else, it's known by another, more sinister name; the Suicide Forest. Officially by the Japanese, the forest below Mt. Fuji, the sea of trees is called Aokigahara, and it's a vast, almost otherworldly place. Filled with thick trees, crowding the earth and causing the air, itself, to become heavy. Many travelers have entered out of curiosity or, as you've probably guessed, to end their own life. Sometimes, there's a ray of hope. Not everyone who goes inside decides to take such a tragic path...sometimes, they decide to return to their family.