Japanese Minister Found Dead at Home
Rick Wallace Tokyo Correspondent
Japanese Financial Service Minister Tadahiro Matsushita was found dead at his home on September 10, 2012 in what police believe was a possible suicide, media said. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO Source: AFP
APAN'S Financial Services Minister has been found dead at his home in what police suspect was a suicide.
Tadahiro Matsushita, effectively the top financial regulator in the world's third-largest economy, hanged himself, police sources said.
Mr Matushita, 73, had earlier told Japan's Financial Services Agency he could not show up "as planned" to a scheduled appointment. Yesterday was World Suicide Prevention Day.
On Sunday, Mr Matsushita had attended a festival in his home town of Kagoshima, in western Japan, and there was no indication he was suffering any kind of personal crisis.
Staff at his local office confirmed yesterday that the minister had been found dead at his residence. There were conflicting reports in Japanese media as to whether he had been found by his wife or his bodyguard.
His apparent suicide has shocked Japan's political establishment, with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda saying last night he was lost for words over Mr Matsushita's death.
The minister's death comes at a turbulent time in Japanese politics, with leadership tensions in both the ruling and opposition parties before a forthcoming election.
The FSA and Mr Matsushita were heavily involved in an investigation into insider trading at Japan's most storied finance house, Nomura.
But no clear reason for Mr Matsushita taking his own life had emerged by last night, although police told Japanese media they had found a note at the minister's house.
Mr Matsushita was a former government bureaucrat before being elected to the lower house in 1993.
The veteran politician was from the government's junior coalition partner, the tiny People's New Party, and also had responsibility for postal reform.
He was originally a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, which ruled Japan for almost 50 years until its 2009 defeat.