Are you interested in angels, demons, spirits, ghosts, and monsters? Are you curious about their origins, tales, and influence upon history and on the present day? If so, sit back, relax, and welcome to Seven Demon Moment, the podcast that explores all of this in the world.
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Before we jump into the meat of today's episode, which I think you will highly enjoy, I want to launch the introductory segment I am calling Listener Inbox, where anyone can write to me on the website or Discord with an experience or story, and it might just be included on an episode. And to kick things off, my good friend Paranormal Will, whom we interviewed in episodes 48 and 49, graciously sent this story to share. So when I was really young, around seven, I used to have these recurring nightmares that scared the ever-living heck out of me.
A family member would take me to something like a birthday party, and I would ask to go outside and play, and they would say yes. Every time I went out to play, it was dark. I would hear dolls barking in the distance and look to where that sound came from. Then they would come from the other side behind me, and I would turn around and look that way. The third set of bars came from the original place I heard them. And when I would go to look, that is when I would see them. A huge piece of dolls. But not just any dolls. These were huge. With bright red eyes.
Imagine the dolls from the old movie Willow, but huge. Once I had seen them, it was too late. They would attack. As soon as the fire from their bike hit my skin, I would wake up. This nightmare happened at least twice a month. And in it I would tell myself not to look. And I always did. And I became severely afraid to go to sleep to the point where now, as an adult, I have PTSD about it. The nightmares did stop after I turned nine and I got a teddy bear for Christmas. Sounds funny, I know. But he became the dream angel, and yes, I still have him.
A year before I started studying demonology, the nightmare came back to me as an adult. I went by myself to a party, stepped outside the bars. I tell myself not to look in my mind when I look. The third set of parts. I go to look. And before the keys hit my hand, and before I see them lunge at me, I say demanding no. As I look, the hounds are standing there. I then say yes. And they do. I call them hell hounds now. And after getting older, because that is what they remind me of now. I took control of them. Yes. And my dreams, but I took control.
That is when I realized I need to really go down my path of demonology. I don't tell this side of the story much because it sounds silly. But dreams have a funny way of making you think and making us change our ways in life, knowingly or not. Well, that is a fantastic experience. And I for one cannot thank you enough for being willing to share it with us all. If you'd like to have your own experience read, then go to Southern Demonology.com and click on the listener inbox link.
Also, I recently recorded an episode with Cookville Ghost Hunters on the phenomenon known as Zozo, the quote unquote supposed Ouija board demon. We had a ton of fun examining that from every angle we could think of. When that goes live, I'll have links on our social media to that so you can have a listen. And a bit of a surprise, I was handed a press pass to Scarefest, the paranormal and horror convention that will be held in Lexicon, Kentucky from October 21st to 23rd. If you're thinking about coming, do let me know.
And with all of that out of the way, on June 10th, 2022, Japan took its first tentative steps to reopening its borders to the wider world. While permanent residents and citizens could always return home during the pandemic, no one else could. However, now tourists can come to Japan but only through guided tour packages. See, the country thrives on data. During Golden Week, when virtually the entire country is off in many travel, whether domestically or abroad, the government carefully analyzed COVID rates before and after.
Seeing that things held relatively steady, they move to the next test bed. I pray that this too goes well and doesn't drag on for too long, as I'm desperate to get back to see family and friends, in addition to visiting my old haunts. If things do open back up, then I will head back either in the fall or winter, since a tickets are always cheaper during this time, usually. B it's perfect weather to visit onsen or hot springs, and C you can buy bottles and cans of hot coffee from Kambini or convenience stores and vending machines.
So to celebrate this momentous step Random Facts About Fuji Soro, or as we call it in English, Mount Fuji. Most people are familiar with this famous mountain in Japan, which stands twelve thousand three hundred and eighty-nine feet or three thousand seven hundred and seventy-six meters tall. And if you are remotely familiar with the Japanese language, you may know that san, add it to a name, is a term of respect, akin to Mr. or Miss. For example, Tanaka-san is Mr. Miss Tanaka. And knowing that, you may assume that the san on Fujisan means the exact same thing. But that is actually incorrect.
The san is actually the kanji for mountain, so it literally translates to Mount Fuji. Also, did you know that on a clear day you can see Fujisan from Tokyo? While some of these facts may be interesting, there's one final one that I know that you will love. While Fujisan is an enduring symbol of Japan, it also is in possession of a darker side. And that is Oki Gahada. Welcome back to Southern Demonology. As always, I'm your host, JJ. Now the name itself doesn't sound ominous. If you break it down, O for blue or blue green, ki for tree, and gehada for meadow. Sounds lovely, right?
Blue tree meadow. It also goes by the name of Jukai or Sea of Trees. And on the surface everything is quite lovely. I had convinced a group of co-workers to take a weekend trip there, and so we rented a car and drove. Along the way, we stopped at a lovely family restaurant situated in the hills, which offered a phenomenal view. The sky was the deepest blue I had ever seen, and the area is littered with ice caves that were carved out from previous eruptions and that families now run tourist destinations in.
You can climb down into the caves, see some exhibitions, and feel the bone rattling cold emanating from these pits in the earth. The funny thing is that even these caves hint at something darker. Because Okigahata can be a rather famous tourist spot. The locals don't rely upon signs in Japanese. In fact, several craft rather elaborate cardboard dioramas that depict the dangers in the caves by showing just how treacherous they can be. In fact, most of the little humanoid figures shown in the signage have Xs for eyes to show just how many ways the careless could die while exploring them.
I remarked that such an attraction could never be opened in the US, as it would be sued into oblivion after it first week. If you'd like to see some of these yourself, then follow the links to the website where I have posted a few of these images. Do you remember the introduction to the 80s TV show Tales from the Dark Side? It starts off showing a lush forest, but then eerie music starts, and before you know it, you're faced with a scene rendered at night with a pretty horrible negative effect applied to it. That intro alone used to freak me out as a kid.
And the same applies to the forest that is the subject of today's episode. You see, Okigahada has another name beyond Jukai, the Sea of Trees. It is also called Juken or the Suicide Forest. You see, Okigahada is the second most popular suicide spot in the world, only surpassed by the Golden Gate Bridge. People, either alone or in groups or make a final pilgrimage to the spot. Sometimes they bring camping equipment with them if they need to find the courage or wish to reflect upon their life before the end. And then through either hanging or overdose, they take their own life.
It's not uncommon to find abandoned tents or discarded articles of clothing in the woods. Even the local government organizes suicide walks where people patrol the woods to find the bodies of the recently deceased. In fact, they've taken a few steps to discourage suicides. First, they've created signs that encourage people to value their own lives.
Second, they have stopped publishing official suicide rates. See, in Japan, there is a common phrase Deduku or the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Whereas America is very much a society that focuses upon individual rights, in Japan that focus is rather upon the community. Decided to be a rebellious youth and dye your hair blonde? You'll be labeled a Yankee and avoided. Decided to break a roll on a train and eat or put on makeup? Well, then you will be subject of the be an automonopic sound that represents everyone staring at you in disapproval.
Live there long enough and you will find yourself joining in. It's almost as if wrongdoing triggers a psychic connection in everyone in proximity. On a train especially, you can see this in live action. People will turn their heads at the exact same time and just stare. And if you were ever the subject of that, it is more than a little unnerving and freaky. But this also cuts the other way. Say you're going out to lunch in a metro area. You don't really have a particular destination in mind, but on the way you see a restaurant with a line waiting patiently to be seated.
And just like that, you join the line. While you as an individual are loathed to stick out, you can also be influenced by the actions of others around you. Heidegger's invisible they strikes again. And that is why the local government stopped publicizing the suicide rates of Ookigahata, for the fear of others finding it acceptable to end their lives there in following suit. Yet Okigahata isn't a recent phenomenon. In fact, it may be the site of something much more ancient. Japanese has the words Obasute and Oyasute. Oba means older woman, and Oya is older man.
For example, Obasan means aunt, Oyaji can mean father or old man, and sude means to abandon or throw away. There are rumors of an ancient practice where villagers would commit suicide or murder of the elderly when food supplies were at critical levels. They would carry the old or infirm to a remote location and leave them to die. Yet there isn't evidence that this was a common practice. In fact, this seems to hearken to an old Buddhist allegory where a son carries his aged mother on his back, and she keeps reaching up to break limbs in order to demarcate a path for her son to return home.
The allegory ends with in the depths of the mountains. Whom was it for? The aged mother snapped one twig after another. Heedless of herself, she did so for the sake of her son. So perhaps Obasute would occur or perhaps not, but a place that is frequently cited as a place where it did is Okigahada. Also, due to the volcanic rock in the area from previous eruptions of Fujisan, some even claim that compasses and GPS are unreliable. It's not unheard of for people to use tape stringers and tie it across the waist in order to not get lost.
Tales of others finding deliberately cut tape stringers discarded in the forest are even more eerie as a result. But whatever the reason, there is clearly something about this place that attracts such a dark energy. And I can personally attest to that. Ever since learning about this place, I had been dying to go. And at the end of October 2011, I did. And that first day's visit ended by walking into the forest itself. We parked our rental car and marched about 30 minutes into the forest. And I can honestly admit to this, I was scared out of my mind.
Keep in mind that I grew up in one of the most rural spots in Tennessee. The woods behind my house stretch for miles and miles. I've been scampering amongst the trees since I could walk. And there was something about Ookigahada that petrified me. Once you cross the tree line, everything falls absolutely silent. Even with a busy street only yards away, everything goes quiet. That unnerved me quite a bit. Bit and it took me several days after to realize why. There were no animal sounds, no bird singing, nothing. Yet the further we went, one sound did become audible.
It was a very low-grade whine. Almost like a whoosh. I kept looking around. I never could identify the source. I even asked if anyone else heard it. And they looked at me like I had suffered a stroke. But the longer we stayed, and the louder it became, the more my nerves began to stretch more and more taunt. Eventually we snapped a few photos on the trail, and almost by silent agreement, we turned around and left. And once we crossed the tree line, heading back out, the sounds of the world rushed back into place. And for the first time since walking into that forest, my stomach unclenched.
And I knew that that would be the last time I ever set foot into those woods again. It's rare, it's rare to be able to identify the last time you will do something. And if you do, it may come with a tinge of sadness. Not this time. I was perfectly okay with that. It's no wonder that stories of Yude or ghosts abound in these woods. I felt them or something like them everywhere. And I had barely scratched the surface of the place. Again, we only walked in about thirty minutes. This forest is massive. Many consider this forest to be a highly spiritual place due to its proximity to Fujisan.
But that can be a very bad thing. More than a few Buddhist monks set up altars in the forest to combat the evil they feel there. And one, Fukui Kyomilsan, telling the New Zealand Herald, the spirits are calling people here to kill themselves, the spirits of the people who have committed suicide before. It's no wonder that Okigahada finds itself the subject of numerous horror films inside and out of Japan. After all, it's the perfect spot. It's appeared in Tokyo Tales of Terror and has been the location for two absolutely horrible Hollywood films, Sea of Trees and The Forest.
I refuse to watch the first as I detest Matthew McConaughey. And as for the second, I just don't. It is the most painfully boring movie I have seen in quite some time. It has zero imagination, research, or oomph behind it. And that in itself is a cardinal sin. You have perhaps the creepiest, scariest place on the planet Earth and you somehow fail to make a horror movie about it. You should immediately be banished from ever making a movie ever again. If you were looking for an interesting take on Aoki Gahada, I would recommend Jukai Mura.
Or, as it's known by its English title, mistranslated of course, Suicide Forest Village. Really, it means Sea of Trees Village, but Suicide Forest sounds much better in English. You can find it on Amazon Prime, released in 2021. It is a bit of a mashup. There are two distinct plot points going on. And this is spoiler free in case you do want to watch it. The first is about a box found under the house of a family that just moved to the area that seems to be cursed. And if you saw the box, you would immediately say, Yep, can't be anything but cursed. That's wrong.
The second is about the youngest daughter of the family, Hibiki Chan, who gets mixed up with a group that is exploring the death of a YouTuber who went hiking in the forest as they believe she may have encountered the village of Okigahata, a place founded by those who went there to commit suicide. While the film could have obviously been shown more love in the editing room, the two plot points often compete for the first spot.
And the plot isn't the easiest thing to follow, as there are jumps in time that can leave you wondering how point A is connected to point B, it still has an overwhelmingly creepy atmosphere and a few good scares. And if nothing else, it does seem to capture just the immense aura of Okigahada. And if you're looking for a way to be able to experience this these dark woods without actually going there, then Jukai Muda will serve you well in that capacity. Thank you for listening to Southern Demonology. Find us online at Southern Demonology.
com where you can find all of our social and podcasting links. Also, if you have a moment, please feel free to rate this podcast and leave any encouraging feedbacks that you may have. As always, I am JJ and it has been a pleasure getting to talk to you today.