Aokigahara Forest

Disappointment at the Wind and Ice Caves: Short, Cold, and Overrated ​My visit to the Wind and Ice Caves (Fugaku Fuketsu and Narusawa Hyōketsu) near the infamous Aokigahara Forest (Suicide Forest) left me with a strong feeling of significant overestimation. ​While the entrance fee of 300 JPY per cave is negligible, the value offered is arguably nil. Each cave is a matter of five minutes at most, making the entire "experience" incredibly brief, almost rushed. ​Any expectation of a marvelous subterranean natural wonder quickly dissolves against the reality of small, relatively unexceptional spaces. There simply isn't enough time or mass of ice and rock to create a lasting impression. For anyone seeking a deep adventure or truly extraordinary natural sights, this location can feel like a small, commercialized tourist trap that simply isn't worth the detour, even if the cost is not the main issue. ​In short: Too quick, too simple, and definitely did not meet expectations.

This was a magical visit! The forest is mesmerizing, the vegetation is quite unique. It is at the bottom of Fuji mountain, so it frequently snows. There is an amazing serenity as it is deep nature and you only hear birds every so on. I personally don't recommend straying from the paved trails too much as it is very easy to get lost and there is poor connection on site. I had to climb a few hills to get reception, but I was still losing my north. A compass would be a good idea! Don't fully trust the paved path, it becomes overgrown and also flooded due to the snow sometimes. There are wild deers around that may cross your path, which makes the hike even more magical. Get there if you are adventurous enough.

Did anti-clockwise loop trekking(not too deep but just surface of the Aokigahara forest i believe). It really has some place easy lost as path missing & direction confuse but so far manageable although i loop inside for finding correct path almost 10-15min. Most flat road and easy to walk but only some confusion inside the wood. So far very enjoyable route but don't encourage newbie doing it. And doesn't feel very creepy as sunny day but it really almost empty and you walk alone inside the forest. i only saw 3-4 people at the whole trekking in 3hours. p.s. Offline map is must although compass still mess up sometimes & ribbon marks inside the wood cannot 100% trust.

✔️The forest is called the suic.i.d.e forest, somewhere on the way in there is a warning sign advising and asking to leave the phone number of relatives. Along the way there are existing pink or red ribbons tied to tree branches to guide the volunteers bring them back to their families. ✔️This area also has a road built by Subaru company that cars drive on it, it will create a sound to welcome to Fuji. It is really good rhythm. The mechanism to create this sound is the design of the road surface when the wheels grind down, it will create a musical note and create a piece of music. It is really special for travelers. Enjoy it when you visit this lovely mountain 💝💕

Frightened from online reviews, however we tried. Wonderful forest, only few tourists on the way, silence and best walking in nature. Done from Bat cave up to wind cave (about 2.5km)

Nice and relaxing walk. The air smells of urine but don’t worry it’s just sulphur from the volcanic deposits 🤣 I was a bit nervous because of its background story but there was nothing creepy. The ice cave was a bit low so be prepared…good to collect helmets from the entrance. Floors to the ice cave and wind cave are slippery, stick to the mats. Successful completed all the hiking routes with a five and nine year old.

Nestled at the base of Mount Fuji, Aokigahara Forest—often called the “Sea of Trees”—is a place steeped in deep mystery and haunting beauty. While it’s a stunning natural area with dense woods, lava caves, and wildlife, it’s also famously wrapped in chilling myths and legends that have fascinated (and unsettled) visitors for centuries. One is the Yūrei (Ghosts and Spirits): Aokigahara is widely considered one of Japan’s most haunted places. The forest is said to be inhabited by yūrei, restless spirits of those who died tragically or by suicide. Japanese folklore holds that these spirits linger, unable to find peace, making the forest a place where the supernatural feels palpable.

The path is nice and easy to walk. The wind Cave and Ice cave were really nice even tho most of the ice was already melted, yet you could see a lot of ice. And the caves are so cold, you should prepare for that! I believe the density of the trees are much higher deep into the forest.. the path is really fine and regular forest. Kinda wanted to witness the ropes everyone keeps talking about, beside trees you really see nothing. You should stay on the path otherwise you can get lost really easy!

Five stars? Hell yea. Aokigahara forest, the sea of trees or also known as the Suicide forest is a forest nestled at the base of Mt. Fuji. The scenery remarkable, and the quiet nature of the forest makes it a great place to hike or to enjoy nature. My friends and I originally came here because, yes, we have a morbid sense to our personalities, and also that we just wanted to see the forest itself. It's gained a great deal of fame and so our curiosity led us here. Supposedly, the forest is so dense with trees that not even wind can penetrate it. How true that is, I'm not sure, however, on our visit it was rather still despite being a nice breezy summery day. We ended up entering the forest from scenic caves peppered around the edge of the area. There are also plenty of openings to go hiking and exploring. It's best to keep to the trails they provide and mark otherwise you risk easily getting lost or finding something you don't want to find... or something finding you. On the lighter side of things, the caves inside the forest are geological attractions. They were formed many years ago from lava which made their interiors very interesting to explore and for around ¥300 you can enter them. They are otherworldly cold upon entering. The temperature change is also very drastic by only varying in a step where you might go from 80 degrees outside temp to 20 Fahrenheit (26 to -6 Celsius drop). Anyways, aside from the stories, this forest is beautiful and a lovely place to visit and hike. I believe buses will take you to an area around the forest, I know they will drop off at the caves. Our group decided to rent a car which made for a lot of leisure exploring. Buses also seem to stop running after 5 pm out here but I'm very unsure of the times, so double check. It also is a ways away from Mt. Fuji. So I wouldn't exactly come here to visit Mt. Fuji itself. This is more if you're into woods, lakes, and caves, and the winding mountains of Japan. If you want to know more about it being called the Suicide Forest-- there are some decent documentaries out there, but try to avoid the movie inspired from it. Just a warning, but you do you.

A blessing from Buddha himself to temporarily bring me away from freakishly fast paced Tokyo and place me into such peaceful tranquil beauty! I'm a bit weird and have always had a fascination for the paranormal so I knew this visit was a must. The drive from Tokyo here was probably 1 of the best ventures of my entire life. Arriving here was so rewarding. I felt at ease and ready for some investigative discovery. OBEY the signs to not go off the trail as there are DEADLY sink holes from the Fuji eruption back on the day. You can even feel the softness on the trail and it only gets worse out there in the density. There are also many caves you can explore for only 300 yen! Easily some of the best yen spent on my trip at the Ice Cave. Definitely 1 of the most underrated day trips for tourists in Japan. Enjoy and stay safe!