Aokigahara Sea of Trees (青木ヶ原樹海) is a forest formed on a lava plateau created by the Jogan eruption of 864 AD. The original lava is bumpy and the soil is too thin to allow trees to take deep root, giving the area a unique and bizarre appearance. It is a very mysterious place, just like the image of a deep mossy forest. I have always wanted to walk there.
The sea of trees has an image of “once you enter, you can’t come out,” but in fact, the promenade is well maintained and you can go hiking normally. When you park your car at the parking lot of Fugaku Fuketsu Wind Cave, you will find several entrances nearby.
It is only a short distance from the roadway, but it is already dense. | Nikon D750 + AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G EDIt is heaving on the ground with huge roots.The environment must be harsh for plants, with little nutrition and light. There is no sign of animals.Clusters of Tsurushikimi (Skimmia japonica f. repens) reflect the light on the dark forest floor.Moss is one of the important elements that create the landscape of the Sea of Trees. The photo shows cypress moss. | Nikon D750 + SIGMA MACRO 50mm F2.8 EX DGThe base of the large tree is also covered with moss.Decaying trees decompose and become part of the new soil. The forest has grown to its present state by repeating this process.A tree that undulates violently. Does it look like a pretzel?
It was Sunday, and the famous places in the vicinity were crowded, and the roads were busy with cars. But no one came here. In fact, only a couple of hikers finally passed me after almost three hours from the time I left. In the end, only about 10 people passed me during the 6 hours I stayed in the area. Thanks to this, I was able to fully enjoy this wonderful scenery.
In places, there are paths that look like they were added by someone else. It is intriguing, but the scenery is so similar that if you get carried away, you may lose track of where you really came from. It is safe to stay on the boardwalk.I often see giant Bracket fungus that look to be over 20 cm in length.Roots stretched out like the legs of an octopus.Rocks, moss, and trees are all in one place.Weathered lava will gradually turn into soil.
A tree was stripped and felled with the entire thin ground surface. I want to fast forward and see what will happen now.
While I said I could hike normally, I also came across a disturbing drop-off. I thought it might be a joke, but there was no commercially available trespassing tape with the word “察” (a part of Japanese word 警察 that means police) on it. Well, it’s just trash.
I walked around for no set amount of time and ended up staying twice as long as the three hours I had originally expected. It is truly a mysterious and wonderful forest, and I recommend that those who see this visit it as well.
