Japan's financial services minister died in an apparent suicide two days before a tabloid magazine was set to reveal claims the married 73-year-old was involved with another woman, reports said Tuesday.

  Tadahiro Matsushita was found hanging at his Tokyo home on Monday, the Mainichi Shimbun and other media reported, adding letters addressed to his wife, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and cabinet members were also discovered.

  A woman who answered the telephone at the tabloid magazine Shukan Shincho told reporters that its Wednesday edition would carry a story on a scandal involving Matsushita that was "related to a woman". She declined to elaborate.

  Press reports suggested the magazine would be publishing claims that Matsushita, who was also the state minister in charge of postal reform, was having an extra-marital affair.

  Fellow cabinet members paid tribute to Matsushita on Tuesday, with Finance Minister Jun Azumi saying "he was a seasoned politician and the quality of his work was high".

  Azumi will take over Matsushita's job as financial services minister, and Noda will cover his job as minister in charge of supervising privatisation of the post office network, Jiji Press reported.

  据媒体周二报道，日本金融事务担当大臣松下忠洋疑似自杀身亡。定于他自杀后两天出版的一家八卦杂志将披露这位73岁的部长与一名女性的婚外情。

  据日本《每日新闻》和其他媒体报道，松下忠洋周一被发现吊死在东京家中，此外还发现了他留给妻子、首相野田佳彦和其他内阁成员的遗书。

  八卦杂志《新潮周刊》一名接电话的女子告诉记者说，他们周三发布的新刊中有关于松下忠洋的一篇丑闻，“与一名女子有关”。但她拒绝透露详细信息。

  媒体报道指出，该杂志将发布松下忠洋婚外恋的新闻。松下忠洋还兼任邮政改革事务担当大臣。

  松下的同僚们周二对松下之死表达了哀悼，财务大臣安住淳说，“他是一名老练的政治家，他工作的质量也很高。”

  日本时事社的消息称，安住淳将接替松下忠洋成为金融事务担当大臣，野田佳彦会暂代他主管邮政私有化改革的工作。