![]() ![]() Mammals include the Asian black bear, small Japanese mole, bats, mice, deer, fox, boar, wild rabbit, Japanese mink and Japanese squirrel. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has conducted its ranger courses including navigation training in the forest since 1956. However, a compass behaves as expected when held at a normal height. Needles of magnetic compasses will move if placed directly on the lava, aligning with the rock's natural magnetism, which varies in iron content and strength by location. Īokigahara has been falsely portrayed as a place where navigational compasses go haywire. Designated trails lead to several tourist attractions such as the Narusawa Ice Cave, Fugaku Wind Cave and Lake Sai Bat Cave which are three larger lava caves near Mount Fuji, the ice cave being frozen year-round. The forest floor mostly consists of volcanic rock. Because of this, signs at the head of some trails urge suicidal visitors to think of their families and contact a suicide prevention association. 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. The forest has a historical reputation as a home to yūrei: ghosts of the dead in Japanese mythology. ![]() 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. 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. This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and has been republished with permission.35☂8′12″N 138☃7′11″E / 35.47000°N 138.61972☎ / 35.47000 138.61972Īokigahara ( 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. It is a valuable image that will remain in posterity." "I think it was a desperate situation, but the fact that I survived safely is the most wonderful thing. The unnamed tramper claims he did nothing wrong. Posting it to YouTube under the account 登山者と熊 - 'Bear and Climber - the video has been seen over 1.7 million times. it's unlikely you'd be in for such a shocking bear-related surprise.ĭespite this the climber has no regrets and appreciates the encounter as a valuable experience. Tourists are eager to get into the thick of Japan, which is newly reopened to tourists. "Currently, the mountain is closed to the public for nature conservation," it reads. ![]() However the local tourism website advises that visitors are not to climb Mt Futago itself. The region in the Hakone Prefecture, above the bay of Tokyo is a favourite among birdwatchers and hikers. "I always have a bear bell, but I mute it when descending rocks because it is noisy," he said. ![]() He was aware of the dangers and brought bear deterrent to ward off encounters, but had been caught off guard. As a mixed martial arts fan he said " used hammer fist instead of punches" to deter the bear from attacking, which it did again and again. "I learned karate when I was a child," he said, publishing the video to YouTube. He said he had no choice but to defend himself from the bear.įortunately he claims to have had some martial arts training to fend off the animal. His blood-curdling screams can be heard on the recording as he tries to shout down the animal.įor his part, the tourist says he was in the wrong as the one invading the bear's territory. ![]()
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