Three bodies were discovered in a minivan in a parking lot in the city of Yamaguchi, police said Saturday.
Burned charcoal was found in the vehicle. Two men -- a 33-year-old from Shimane Prefecture and another appearing to be 25 to 35 -- and a 33-year-old woman from Kumamoto Prefecture apparently committed suicide together, the police said.
A passerby found the minivan at around 6:40 p.m. Friday and notified the police. The vehicle was locked and its windows were sealed with tape from the inside.
A note believed to have been written by the three was found in the back seat.