Japan's Agriculture Minister committed suicide yesterday apparently over a scandal he was involved in. The news reports have claimed he did it around noon, but I was in that area before 8AM and there was an unusually heavy police presence. It was obvious something was going on. People to whom I have spoken and were also in the area, believe he actually killed himself that morning or earlier, but the press held off reporting it until after the government decided how to handle the situation. Then they still reported the time of the suicide as around noon. They are still reporting that time as far as I know. Nothing like a free, independent press.