AOKIGAHARA FOREST , Japan ( CNN ) -- Aokigahara Forest is known for two things in Japan : breathtaking views of Mount Fuji and suicides . Also called the Sea of Trees , this destination for the desperate is a place where the suicidal disappear , often never to be found in the dense forest . Japan 's Aokigahara Forest is known as the `` suicide forest '' because people often go there to take their own lives . Taro , a 46-year-old man fired from his job at an iron manufacturing company , hoped to fade into the blackness . `` My will to live disappeared , '' said Taro . `` I 'd lost my identity , so I did n't want to live on this earth . That 's why I went there . '' Taro , who did not want to be identified fully , was swimming in debt and had been evicted from his company apartment . He lost financial control , which he believes to be the foundation of any stable life , he said . `` You need money to survive . If you have a girlfriend , you need money . If you want to get married , you need it for your life . Money is always necessary for your life . '' Watch Taro describe why he wanted to die in `` suicide forest '' » . Taro bought a one-way ticket to the forest , west of Tokyo , Japan . When he got there , he slashed his wrists , though the cut was n't enough to kill him quickly . He started to wander , he said . He collapsed after days and lay in the bushes , nearly dead from dehydration , starvation and frostbite . He would lose his toes on his right foot from the frostbite . But he did n't lose his life , because a hiker stumbled upon his nearly dead body and raised the alarm . Taro 's story is just one of hundreds logged at Aokigahara Forest every year , a place known throughout Japan as the `` suicide forest . '' The area is home to the highest number of suicides in the entire country . Japan 's suicide rate , already one of the world 's highest , has increased with the recent economic downturn . There were 2,645 suicides recorded in January 2009 , a 15 percent increase from the 2,305 for January 2008 , according to the Japanese government . The Japanese government said suicide rates are a priority and pledged to cut the number of suicides by more than 20 percent by 2016 . It plans to improve suicide awareness in schools and workplaces . But officials fear the toll will rise with unemployment and bankruptcies , matching suicide spikes in earlier tough economic times . `` Unemployment is leading to this , '' said Toyoki Yoshida , a suicide and credit counselor . `` Society and the government need to establish immediate countermeasures to prevent suicides . There should be more places where they can come and seek help . '' Yoshida and his fellow volunteer , Norio Sawaguchi , posted signs in Aokigahara Forest urging suicidal visitors to call their organization , a credit counseling service . Both men say Japanese society too often turns a cold shoulder to the unemployed and bankrupt , and breeds a culture where suicide is still seen as an honorable option . Local authorities , saying they are the last resort to stop people from killing themselves in the forest , have posted security cameras at the entrances of the forest . The goal , said Imasa Watanabe of the Yamanashi Prefectural Government is to track the people who walk into the forest . Watanabe fears more suicidal visitors will arrive in the coming weeks . `` Especially in March , the end of the fiscal year , more suicidal people will come here because of the bad economy , '' he said . `` It 's my dream to stop suicides in this forest , but to be honest , it would be difficult to prevent all the cases here . '' One year after his suicide attempt , Taro is volunteering with the credit counseling agency that helped him get back on his feet . He 's still living in a shelter and looking for a job . He 's ashamed , he said , that he still thinks about suicide . `` I try not to think about it , but I ca n't say never . For now , the will to live is stronger . ''
Forest with stunning views of Mount Fuji is also known as place to die . The area has been a popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts since the Meiji period (1868-1912) when it was called Asakusa (阿佐倉). Suicides in Japan were 15 percent higher in January than a year earlier . Officials fear more people will kill themselves amid the tough economy .