Yoji Nagaoka

The 54-year-old Liberal-Democratic Party lawmaker bore no wounds and left no suicide note, police said.

Nagaoka, who was serving his second term representing Ibaraki Prefecture's No.7 district, was one of several lawmakers criticized by a magazine for changing positions on postal privatization, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's priority policy initiative.

The magazine called Nagaoka a traitor for his actions, and he was concerned about it, according to a secretary at his Tokyo office.

Nagaoka opposed the bills in the governing party's decision-making General Council but later voted for them in the crucial Lower House vote July 5. The bills passed by the hairbreadth margin of five votes.

According to investigators, Nagaoka had been seeing a doctor and receiving medication for depression since late last year.

The Japan Times Weekly: Aug. 6, 2005
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