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Lifer
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Record number of suicides at fictional death spot
A record number of people are believed to have committed suicide last year at the base of Mount Fuji.
Police searching Aokigahara Forest found the bodies of 78 people who killed themselves last year - the most since authorities began the searches in 1971.
Locals trace its popularity to the 1960 novel "The Pagoda of Waves," in which a woman kills herself there.
In 2001, 59 bodies were found. The previous record was 73, set in 1998.
The forest, which has a dense canopy and black volcanic rock paths, has long been a popular spot for suicides.
Signs are posted along the trail and police patrols are sent out to discourage any would-be suicides.
Last year, police detained 83 people who had planned to commit suicide there.
Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates. While suicide carries a stigma in Japan, it traditionally also has been viewed as an honourable way out of a shameful situation.
According to the National Police Agency, 31,042 people killed themselves in 2001, down 2.9% from 31,957 in 2000.
Japan's stagnant economy has been blamed for an increasing proportion of suicides as many struggle with job losses, bankruptcies or mounting debts.
Story filed: 12:02 Thursday 6th February 2003
Record number of suicides at fictional death spot
A record number of people are believed to have committed suicide last year at the base of Mount Fuji.
Police searching Aokigahara Forest found the bodies of 78 people who killed themselves last year - the most since authorities began the searches in 1971.
Locals trace its popularity to the 1960 novel "The Pagoda of Waves," in which a woman kills herself there.
In 2001, 59 bodies were found. The previous record was 73, set in 1998.
The forest, which has a dense canopy and black volcanic rock paths, has long been a popular spot for suicides.
Signs are posted along the trail and police patrols are sent out to discourage any would-be suicides.
Last year, police detained 83 people who had planned to commit suicide there.
Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates. While suicide carries a stigma in Japan, it traditionally also has been viewed as an honourable way out of a shameful situation.
According to the National Police Agency, 31,042 people killed themselves in 2001, down 2.9% from 31,957 in 2000.
Japan's stagnant economy has been blamed for an increasing proportion of suicides as many struggle with job losses, bankruptcies or mounting debts.
Story filed: 12:02 Thursday 6th February 2003
