Aokigahara

Aokigahara is also known as the forest of suicide. It's right at the foot of mount fuji. In one of the best selling novels in Japan, the two characters committed suicide in the forest. Since then, every year, Japanese head to the forest to take their lives. Volunteers search the forest annually for bodies, and every year about 100 are found. There are signs everywhere that remind people to think of their loved ones, providing a suicide helpline. People who are hesitant about dying wrap white, red or blue tapes around the trees as they enter the forest. Some bring suicide manuals with them. Some succeed in taking their lives, and some don't.

The nature guard that patrols the forest said, 'Now we can live our lives being online all day. However, the truth of the matter is we still need to see each other's faces, read their expressions, hear their voices so we can fully understand their emotions - to coexist.'

My thoughts exactly. When he came across fresh flowers and chocolates left for the dead in the forest, he said people think they die alone. But actually they don't. Nobody is alone in the world.

It feels very strange after watching videos and reading about this forest. It's so eerie, yet so sad. It's true, we are not alone. But why do we always neglect the feelings of people we love, until something bad happens? We don't have to wait till they are gone to show them they are not alone, and that people do care for them.

But the reality is, people have no time. Nobody could fork out that little bit of extra time and attention to listen, and help someone before its too late. This is the kind of sad reality we live in.