At around 12:10 a.m. on Friday, a passerby reported to police that a mini-vehicle had overturned and three people were lying bleeding on a national highway in Nabari City, Mie Prefecture.
The police say the six people were taken to hospital, where two men and three women were confirmed dead. One man was seriously injured.
The two-lane national highway is in a mountainous area of the city.
Police are working to identify the victims and investigate the cause of the accident. They suspect the vehicle may have been overloaded.
