今天是元宵节,中国人吃着元宵或汤圆,享受其乐融融、团团圆圆的中国春节年俗中最后一个重要节令。

而在日本,每年的2、3月份,有这么一些人选择背弃自己的家人,深入富士山脚下萧瑟的青木原树海,在那里结束自己生命……

这片位于富士山脚下,距离东京两小时车程,名为青木原树海(青木ヶ原樹海Aokigahara forest)的茂密森林,每年都会吸引一大批来自全国各地的日本人到此朝圣”,他们不为欣赏这里原始森林的秀美风光,而是为了自杀。从上世纪70年代至今,已有上千人在这里结束自己的生命,而这片天然林场也被称为“自杀森林”。

日本降低自杀率(这个方法能唤回奔赴)(1)

居住在森林附近的60岁音乐人渡边(Kyochi Watanabe),从8年前开始经常在夜里打开他小木屋里的扬声器、拿出吉他,弹奏英国知名乐团披头士(The Beatles)成员约翰⋅列侬(John Winston Ono Lennon)的《Imagine》等名曲,希望能藉由这些旋律,唤醒那些企图自杀的绝望的人们,使他们重新振作起来,将他们从绝望中解救出来。

From his hut on the edge of Japan’s “suicide forest,”Kyochi WatanabeblastsJohn Lennon’s“Imagine” into the night — hoping that music can lift people from their despair before it’s too late.

The 60-year-old musician has been waging an eight-year battle to banish the vast forest’s morbid reputation by reaching out to those who come to end their lives.

Gatekeeper at Japan's 'suicide forest' hopes music can save lives (via Japan Times)

日本降低自杀率(这个方法能唤回奔赴)(2)

日本是个自杀率相当高的发达国家。

Japan was ranked26thglobally among age-adjusted suicide rates in 2015, according to the World Health Organization. Overall, there were15.4 suicides per 100,000 population,which breaks down to 9.2 for women and 21.7 for men.

根据世界卫生组织发布的2015年年龄矫正自杀率显示,日本自杀率排名全球26位。总体来说,每10万人中,自杀的人数达到15.4人,(按性别来讲,相当于)9.2人为女性,21.7人为男性。

That figure sits above most developed nations, including the United States (12.6), the United Kingdom (7.4) and Italy (5.4) but below several others, such as Belgium (16.1) and South Korea (24.1).

这个数据高于大多数发达国家,包括美国(12.6),英国(7.4),意大利(5.4),但是低于其他一些发达国家,例如比利时(16.1)和韩国(24.1)。

One study found suicide death rates to be on the decline in many peer nations from 1985 to 2010, except in Japan and South Korea, where rates increased by 20% and 280%, respectively.

一项研究显示,在1985年到2010年间,自杀率在许多发达国家是下降的,而日本和韩国的自杀率却分别上升了20%和280%。

Inside Japan's 'suicide forest' (via CNN)

为什么日本人要千里迢迢跑到青木原树海自杀呢?

日本降低自杀率(这个方法能唤回奔赴)(3)

(Via 网络)

日本降低自杀率(这个方法能唤回奔赴)(4)

(Via 网络)

一种说法是,这种传统始于那个貌似眼中没有一个好女人的日本推理小说家松本清张(Seicho Matsumoto)的一本小说——《波之塔》又名《萧瑟树海》(波の塔Black Sea of Trees)。书中的主人公最后选择在青木原树海结束自己的生命。

这部作品在上世纪60年代被搬上大银幕后,青木原树海也就因其优越的自杀条件而受到自寻短见的人的青睐。

日本降低自杀率(这个方法能唤回奔赴)(5)

青木原树海入口处的指示牌敦促企图自杀的人们寻求帮助 (via CNN)

去年,美国网红Logan Paul亲自前往自杀森林并拍摄了真实死者的照片发布到网上。他带领的一行人拍摄到了真实存在的尸体,并且在看到尸体后未做出对死者表达尊敬的举动,相反,他们在镜头前露出了揶揄的笑容。他因此而遭受到了网友们的攻击,并在事后向公众道歉。

日本降低自杀率(这个方法能唤回奔赴)(6)

(Via CNN)

不过,也正是Logan Paul的这段视频,激起了渡边想要唤醒那些自杀者的愿望。

The footage sparked outrage and infuriated Watanabe, who was born nearby and has spent most of his life in and around the forest.

这段视频激怒了出生并在这片树林及其周边度过了大半生的渡边。

“It’s a forest of nature. It’s a forest of religion. It’s not that kind of place,” he said.

“它是天然的林场,是圣灵的森林,而不是(他描述的)那种地方,”渡边说。

“Do people want to make this forest a hell?” he said, calling it “so painful” to see the woods depicted in such a grim fashion.

“人们是想把这个森林变成地狱吗?”见到这片森林被如此描述他说很“痛苦”。

He believes music is a way to reach people engulfed in inner turmoil, and describes seeing people turn around and leave the forest when they hear the blasting tunes.

他相信音乐是平复人们内心惊涛骇浪的一种途径,并描述了人们在听到曲调时转身离开森林的场景。

Gatekeeper at Japan's 'suicide forest' hopes music can save lives (via Japan Times)

专家们长久以来一直在思索为什么一些人选择来到此处自寻短见。

Three decades ago, a Japanese psychiatrist who interviewed a handful of Aokigahara suicide survivors wrote that a key reason was that "they believed that they would be able todie successfully without being noticed."

30年前,一位采访了多名青木原树海自杀未遂者的日本心理医生曾写道,一个重要原因是,他们相信可以在那里成功实施自杀而不被发现。

The psychiatrist, Dr. Yoshitomo Takahashi, believed thatmovies and media reports may have also played a role.Some may have traveled to the forest from other provinces because they wanted to "share the same place with others and belong to the same group," he wrote.

这位名为Yoshitomo Takahashi的医生相信,电影和媒体报道也起到了推波助澜的作用。一些人从其他省来到这里,因为他们想“和那些有着同样想法的人分享这个自杀圣地”。

Inside Japan's 'suicide forest' (via CNN)

对于日本如此高发的自杀率,多项研究显示,一个重要的影响因素是上世纪90年代席卷日本的经济危机。另外一些研究和政府资料显示的风险因素包括学业压力,抑郁,超负荷工作,经济困难和失业。

"Especially in March, the end of the fiscal year, more suicidal people will come here because of the bad economy," Watanabe previously told CNN. "It's my dream to stop suicides in this forest, but to be honest, it would be difficult to prevent all the cases here."

“特别在3月,一个财年的结束,由于经济不景气,更多有自杀倾向的人会来到这里,”渡边曾告诉CNN。“我的梦想是阻止在这片森林里的自杀行为,但说实话,很难预防所有发生在这里的案件。”

Inside Japan's 'suicide forest' (via CNN)

整合:Du Qiongfang

原文:CNN、Japan Times

图:BBC、CNN、网络

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