Japan: Minister unconscious after 'attempted hanging'

Japan’s agricultural minister attempted to hang himself amid a scandal over his use of official funds, media reports said today.

Toshikatsu Matsuoka, 62, was unconscious and his heart had stopped, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Japanese police could not immediately comment.

“He has been taken to the hospital and is being treated,” chief government spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki said. “He was found unconscious.”

Shiozaki refused to comment on whether it was a suicide attempt.

Matsuoka has faced criticism over a scandal involving suspicious bookkeeping practices involving utility fees for his offices.

Scandals have rocked the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Today, support for Abe’s government fell to its lowest level since he took office last year, according to two newspaper polls.

Support for Abe’s Cabinet plunged to 32%, down 11 percentage points from a similar poll in April, a survey by the national newspaper Mainichi, taken over the weekend, showed.

The government’s disapproval rating rose to 44%, up from 33%, the Mainichi said. A separate poll by the Nikkei business daily showed Abe’s popularity falling to 41%, down 12 percentage points from the previous month.