There is a variety show called "Why did you come to Japan?" that has been broadcast on the TV Tokyo network in Japan since 2013.
Now then, I ask, "Why did you come to Aokigahara?"
Over the years I had a certain number of clients who came to take tours with their mixed perception of Aokigahara formed in large part by their coming across online its dark side known as the suicide forest.
Indeed, searching the internet for "Aokigahara" returns mixed results - its different sides, the front and the back.
So, I'm here to shed light on its positive (bright) side and explain why you should come to experience Aokigahara, its attractions, to reinforce your positive perception or to turn your possibly-negative one over if you are wondering.
I will do so as a local who lives in the immediate vicinity of it and also as an interpretive guide (nature guide) registered at MFRI, Mt. Fuji Research Institute of Yamanashi Prefectural Government.
There are many things to write about Aokigahara, and I will cover this intriguing subject in a series of posts by breaking it down into specific topics.
And, this is the very first one - the introduction with the basics.
Aokigahara（青木ヶ原）is a plateau of lava flow at an altitude of 900 to 1200 meters at the northwestern foot of Mt. Fuji in the southern part of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
It was formed by the eruption of parasitic volcanoes on Mt. Fuji in 864 and has a virgin forest that extends over 16 km in circumference and 30 km 2 in area, which is called Aokigahara Jukai (Sea of Trees) because it looks like the sea when viewed from a distance.
It took several 100 years for trees to grow densely on the large amount of lava flow that flowed out from the eruption, and it is said to have remained because it was on the lava field, which made it difficult to be touched by human hands.
There are also lava caves and lava tree molds, making it a place rich in the beauty of lava flow topography.
Aokigahara is not a common or popular name. It is a geographical name that is also used for the location and is a natural geographical name that expresses the natural environment such as mountains, rivers, plants, and trees. Literally translated, it means "green tree field".
If you look up maps issued by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, you find the name in them. Also, Fugaku wind cave, one of the well-known tourist spots in the area, has Aokigahara in its address (location description).
Aokigahara is usually followed by the word "Jukai" which means a sea of trees. So, Aokigahara Sea of Trees.
Some parts of Aokigahara are a nationally-designated natural treasure and also in special protection zones of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
Aokigahara Jukai is a unique forest created by the eruption of Mt. Fuji, an active volcano, and various traces of eruptions such as the Aokigahara lava flow, craters, and lava caves remain on its ground and underground.
Aokigahara is a place worthy of being a natural monument, where you can experience it in three dimensions - the ground, above, and blow - throughout the four seasons.
If your interest in Aokigahara is about suicide forests, spirits, etc., please check out the contents found on the internet.
Until next time.