Japan’s Agriculture Minister Offs Himself

It has just been reported that Toshikatsu Matsuoka, the head of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, committed suicide today:

Matsuoka was found unconscious in his room at a residential complex for lawmakers in central Tokyo near parliament, and media reports said he had attempted to hang himself in the room.

Matsuoka’s death comes less than two months before an election for parliament’s upper house, a key test for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government.

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, but the minister had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Could it be a response to the news reported a few days ago?

Two campaign fund management bodies of farm minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka received a total of around 13 million yen in donations from 14 contractors awarded construction work by the Japan Green Resources Agency (J-Green), a government-controlled forestry management body suspected of having been involved in rigging bids, political fund reports and bidding data showed Friday.

Following the news, the Asahi Shinbun called on Matsuoka and Abe to take responsibility:

Abe should make Matsuoka provide a proper explanation. What the public wants is a satisfactory explanation about whether Matsuoka’s office expenses and utility charges were appropriate. Changing the law while turning a blind eye to this crucial point is an attempt to switch the focus of the argument.

The loophole-riddled Political Fund Control Law needs to be changed. But even when the revised law takes effect, the fact remains that Abe and Matsuoka have continued to duck their accountability to the people and trampled on the Diet’s code of political ethics.

How should this be viewed? As an innocent man who couldn’t take the pressure of accusations? A shamed and guilt-ridden man who took responsibility for his actions? Or possibly: a wrong-doer who has failed to take responsibility for his actions, and simply took the easy way out?

Update: from the inside, looking in has a very good post discussing this topic, offering some interesting theories about the reasons behind Matsuoka’s suicide.