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.