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A Japanese government minister has died, after hanging himself in his apartment in central Tokyo, police say.
Toshikatsu Matsuoka, the Japanese farming minister was found unconscious in his home and taken to hospital, where he later died.
His death came just hours before he was due to be questioned over a scandal involving misuse of political funds.
His suicide is the latest blow to Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, whose approval ratings have plummeted since he took office last year.
The death comes less than months before an election for parliament's upper house, a key test for Abe's leadership.
Matsuoka, 62, was found unconscious in his room at a residential complex for legislators near parliament in the centre of the Japanese capital.
He was then taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead, Japan's chief cabinet secretary told reporters.
Scandals
Media reports have linked Matsuoka to a number of political fund scandals, including a case in which he had declared substantial office expenditures when his office was in fact rent-free.
Last week, media said the minister had received political donations from businessmen involved in a bid-rigging scandal.
Matsuoka has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Support for Abe's cabinet has plunged to 32 per cent, down 11 percentage points from a similar poll in April, according to a weekend survey by the national Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
A separate poll by the Nikkei business daily showed Abe's popularity falling to 41 per cent, down 12 percentage points from the previous month.
Both polls cited dissatisfaction with the government's apparent loss of pension payment records for millions of people.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who has been embroiled in a political funds scandal, hanged himself Monday in his Tokyo Diet member's residence, police said.
Matsuoka, a 62-year-old House of Representatives lawmaker from Kumamoto Prefecture, was taken to Keio University Hospital in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward at around 1 p.m. after being found unconscious in his unit in a parliamentary housing building in Tokyo's Akasaka district, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki and hospital officials said.
Shiozaki said he was found unconscious at around 12:18 p.m. in his living room.
Shiozaki declined comment on whether it was a suicide attempt.
Matsuoka's secretary and a security police officer found him when they went to the room, police said. Matsuoka was scheduled to attend a House of Councilors committee meeting in the afternoon.
He recently came under fire over the political funds scandal, with opposition lawmakers demanding that he resign as minister. Matsuoka had been grilled for not providing a clear-cut accounting of expenditures claimed by his lawmaker's office, which was in fact rent-free.
He also came under scrutiny for accepting political donations from contractors alleged to have been involved in bid-rigging for public works projects ordered by the government-affiliated Japan Green Resources Agency.
Matsuoka had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
He was first elected to the Lower House in 1990 and was successfully re-elected for a sixth term in 2005. Matsuoka became a Cabinet member for the first time as agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister in September, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assumed office.
Toshikatsu Matsuoka, the Japanese farming minister was found unconscious in his home and taken to hospital, where he later died.
His death came just hours before he was due to be questioned over a scandal involving misuse of political funds.
His suicide is the latest blow to Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, whose approval ratings have plummeted since he took office last year.
The death comes less than months before an election for parliament's upper house, a key test for Abe's leadership.
Matsuoka, 62, was found unconscious in his room at a residential complex for legislators near parliament in the centre of the Japanese capital.
He was then taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead, Japan's chief cabinet secretary told reporters.
Scandals
Media reports have linked Matsuoka to a number of political fund scandals, including a case in which he had declared substantial office expenditures when his office was in fact rent-free.
Last week, media said the minister had received political donations from businessmen involved in a bid-rigging scandal.
Matsuoka has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Support for Abe's cabinet has plunged to 32 per cent, down 11 percentage points from a similar poll in April, according to a weekend survey by the national Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
A separate poll by the Nikkei business daily showed Abe's popularity falling to 41 per cent, down 12 percentage points from the previous month.
Both polls cited dissatisfaction with the government's apparent loss of pension payment records for millions of people.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who has been embroiled in a political funds scandal, hanged himself Monday in his Tokyo Diet member's residence, police said.
Matsuoka, a 62-year-old House of Representatives lawmaker from Kumamoto Prefecture, was taken to Keio University Hospital in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward at around 1 p.m. after being found unconscious in his unit in a parliamentary housing building in Tokyo's Akasaka district, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki and hospital officials said.
Shiozaki said he was found unconscious at around 12:18 p.m. in his living room.
Shiozaki declined comment on whether it was a suicide attempt.
Matsuoka's secretary and a security police officer found him when they went to the room, police said. Matsuoka was scheduled to attend a House of Councilors committee meeting in the afternoon.
He recently came under fire over the political funds scandal, with opposition lawmakers demanding that he resign as minister. Matsuoka had been grilled for not providing a clear-cut accounting of expenditures claimed by his lawmaker's office, which was in fact rent-free.
He also came under scrutiny for accepting political donations from contractors alleged to have been involved in bid-rigging for public works projects ordered by the government-affiliated Japan Green Resources Agency.
Matsuoka had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
He was first elected to the Lower House in 1990 and was successfully re-elected for a sixth term in 2005. Matsuoka became a Cabinet member for the first time as agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister in September, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assumed office.
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