My trip to the forest of Aokigahara started from Shinjuku station in central Tokyo. From here, I could travel straight to the town where my guesthouse was located. The bus was rather empty, so I had both seats to myself for relaxing and looking out the window as we left Tokyo, first by the highway and then on to smaller roads that revealed dense forests and lush vegetation. We passed streams and small towns, and after about two hours arrived at my destination: Mount Fuji Station, in the small town of Fujikawaguchiko.
Since there were still strict COVID controls against entering Japan, there were hardly any foreign visitors, even thoughseemed deserted. There were no people to be seen on the streets, and some of the houses appeared to be abandoned, with spider webs covering their entrances. A crushed praying mantis lying in the street was the first sight that greeted me. Had I come to a ghost town? It all seemed rather ominous, especially as the next day I was going on a trip to the infamous Aokigahara ‘suicide forest’.
