© Getty Images

Location - Aokigahara is approximately a two-hour drive from Tokyo. The forest sits on the northwest flank of Mount Fuji.

© Getty Images

Sea of Trees - Aokigahara has so many trees and its vegetation is so dense that it became known as the 'Sea of Trees.'

© Getty Images

Out of a horror movie - The stillness created by the dense vegetation and the absence of light and wind make Aokigahara forest a very eerie place.

© Getty Images

Novel -

Aokigahara was romanticized in Seichō Matsumoto's novel 'Kuroi Jukai.' The novel tells the story of a young lover who commits suicide in the forest.

As if one novel wasn't enough, Wataru Tsurumi describes Aokigahara in his book, 'The Complete Manual of Suicide,' as the "perfect place to die."

© Getty Images

Seppuku - Suicide in Japan does not carry the same stigma as in the West. 'Seppuku,' also known as 'harakiri,' was a samurai's ritual suicide. Until the end of World War II, this type of suicide was thought to be honorable.

© Shutterstock

Suicide culture -

Yoshinori Cho, author of 'Why do People Commit Suicide,' said that there are still vestiges of this ancient suicide culture in Japan. 

Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

© Getty Images

Suicide prevention -

The Japanese government has implemented a number of measures to reduce suicide rates in the country.

Some measures put in place in Aokigahara include increased patrols, security cameras, and signs with positive messages spread throughout the forest.

© Getty Images

Why people commit suicide - Depression is thought to be the main cause for suicide. This is often linked to unemployment and financial problems.

© Getty Images

Demographics - Suicide victims are mostly men in their 50's, although the number of men in their 30's and 40's committing suicide has increased.

© Getty Images

Suicide season -

March marks the end of Japan’s fiscal year, so it's no coincidence that suicides in Aokigahara peak in the spring.

Most people who commit suicide in the forest choose to hang themselves on trees. Death by drug overdose caused by sleeping pills is the second most common suicide method.

© Getty Images

Ubasute - The ancient Japanese practice 'ubasute' was the act of abandoning the elderly in a remote location to die. This was done so that the younger family members could survive.

© Getty Images

Ubasute - Despite being dismissed by some as folklore, the Aokigahara forest was allegedly used for this practice, also known as 'granny dumping.'

© Getty Images

Yūrei - Yūrei are the Japanese version of the Western world ghosts. Many believe the forest to be haunted by these spirits and that they wander through Aokigahara tormenting visitors.

© Getty Images

Corpses -

Police and volunteers patrol the area every year searching for bodies. These searches have been held since 1970.

In the early 2000's, 70-100 corpses were recovered from the forest every year.

© Getty Images

Numbers withheld - In an attempt to discourage suicide, the Japanese government has stopped releasing the number of bodies found.

© Getty Images

Camping - Although camping is allowed in the forest, suicide prevention patrols are suspicious of people traveling alone carrying tents, as these people are more likely to be contemplating suicide. They usually try to talk to them.

© Getty Images

Tape -

Aokigahara forest is so dense that visitors use tape to mark their path. Getting lost in this forest can be fatal.

Aokigahara's soil is rich in magnetic iron, which greatly affects communications. Cellphones, GPS, and even compasses might not work at all in the forest.

© Getty Images

Help -

This is why tape is such an important tool to not get lost. Calling for help would be useless. 

Should you visit this forest, make sure you follow the marked public paths. You might find some disturbing things if you wander deep into the woods.

© Getty Images

Mystery - Despite many theories, it still remains a mystery why so many people choose to commit suicide in this forest.

© Getty Images

It's not all doom and gloom -

But not everyone who visits Aokigahara is contemplating suicide. Many people visit the forest to enjoy the breathtaking views of Mount Fuji.

See also: Amazing facts about the Land of the Rising Sun.

© Shutterstock