“The Aokigahara Forest, at the base of Mount Fuji, is the most popular suicide destination in Japan. Over 100 bodies are found here each year.” This is how VICE’s video, “Suicide Forest in Japan” begins. Watch this video and follow VICE as they visit the forest and learn about its popularity among the suicidal. Green all year round and originally formed over lava, the forest seems surreal, indeed. There’s a sign grounded at the park’s entrance to act as a message to the suicidal. It reads: “Your life is a precious gift from your parents. Please think about your parents, siblings and children. Don’t keep it to yourself. Talk about your troubles.” Albeit eerie, this park is beautiful.
Video: 2-Year-Old Surfer Catches First Solo Waves
There is something incredibly charming about this video, which features a 2-year-old surfer catching his first solo waves. At first dad helps to get him acclimated to the water and they catch a few early swells together, but about a minute and a half in, the pint-sized beach boy gets the chance to go it alone. If you’re looking for the definition of joy, it’s written all over this young man’s face.
Video: Living In The Sewers Of Colombia
Living in the sewers isn’t just for teenage mutant ninja turtles. In Colombia, there’s a culture of sewer-dwellers. There’s even a counterculture to this counterculture: people who are known as the “death squads” who routinely pour gasoline into the sewers and fire rounds in an effort to scare the sewer-dwellers off, or at least torment them. On top of this threat, these people also face the daily threat of flash floods, rats, feces and the unpredictable behavior of drug addicts who also wander into the sewers. Follow VICE through this video as they navigate the sewer life in Colombia.
Video: Slab City And Living Without Laws
I recently discovered the VICE video series on YouTube. I like this series, which features off-the-beaten-path travel and other strange, yet fascinating topics. I watched a few videos from the VICE channel consecutively the other night before realizing how much time had passed. This video features Slab City. Residents call it the “last free place in America”. The land does actually belong to someone – well, an organization for teachers – but these folks have moved in and called the land home. Filled with hippies, veterans, drug addicts and more, Slab City isn’t your everyday California destination.
Scariest Skydiving Video Ever!
For many people skydiving is one of those bucket list items you do following a monumental birthday just to cross it off your list. That’s what Lavern, the woman in this video, did after she turned 80. The problem is, once she got up in the air she decided she really wasn’t sure she wanted to jump after all. Clinging to the open doorway on the airplane, the man that was jumping tandem with her forced Laverne out of the plane and in doing so she became dislodged from her harness. The result is one scary plunge back to Earth with the instructor clinging on to the woman for dear life and a clearly panicked cameraman desperately wanting to help. Warning: this one is not for the faint of heart!