Police said he was carrying a letter addressed to Japanese PM Yasuo Fukuda, mentioning the Yasukuni shrine.
The shrine honours the country's war dead, but it is the cause of friction with Japan's neighbours because some of those honoured are war criminals.
Shootings are extremely rare in Japan, a country where it is difficult to get hold of a gun.
Controversial shrine
The man, who was in his late 50s, arrived at the parliament building in Tokyo in a taxi, during the morning rush hour.
He got out and shot himself in the head with a handgun.
He was later confirmed dead at a nearby hospital, police said.
The man was holding two letters, according to police. One urged Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to take a firm line on foreign policy and the issue of the Yasukuni shrine.
The other letter was addressed to the media, calling on journalists to promote visits to the controversial shrine.
Yasukuni honours soldiers who have died in the service of the emperor, including 14 people convicted as Class A war criminals after World War II.
Japan's neighbours believe it is a place that glorifies militarism.
The annual visits to the shrine by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, damaged relations with China and South Korea.
Mr Fukuda has said he will not go there while in office.
Japan's right-wing activists are a small but vocal minority. On occasions they have shot at and killed left-leaning politicians.
Author Jonathan Trigell, who receives a £5,000 prize, said he was "delighted" to win the award voted for by readers.
"I always hoped Boy A would be a book people enjoyed talking about," he said.
The book, published in 2004, tells of the release of a 24-year-old who has spent most of his life in institutions
after committing a childhood crime.
The book was recently filmed by Channel 4, starring Andrew Garfield as the title character and Peter Mullan as his social worker.
Toddler
Boy A took 21% of the 2,109 votes cast on the World Book Day website between 4 and 29 February.
Trigell wrote the book, his first, while studying creative writing at the University of Manchester.
Sales were boosted by the screening of its adaptation in October and by its inclusion in World Book Day's Top 10 books to talk about selection.
Its plot has been compared to the real-life case of Jamie Bulger, the Liverpool toddler who was killed by two 10-year-old boys in 1993.
Bulger's killers, like the fictional Boy A, are now in their 20s and have been released into the community.
I don't understand.
I live in my house, using my stuff, shoping with my own money.
Why do I have to tolerate my sister's temper?
Why do I need to lower my voice to ask her what I should do?
Why do I have to follow her rules?
Why do I need to consider so much to cooperate with her?
It is she that came to visit me.
It is she that now is staying my place.
And how come did all these happened?
God said we have to learn to forgive, learn to be patient, and learn to be considerate.
I know I am not a good sister so far.
I made a lot of mistakes, made my own dear sister angry, and even let her cried couple days ago.
I want to take care of her well, make her laugh all day long, and let her happy in my place.
But why did I do all of these so awfully?
Everything is not like what I though.
Please tell me how to be a good sister.
Please give me courage and wisdom.
Please make me patient, tender, considerate, and know how to love one in a correct way.
Please please let me know how to improve myself.
I do want to do it better than now.
ヘイ
いつもファンレターやファンメールありがとーな。
最近はねー
こっそり夜な夜なスタジオに籠って
秘密の必殺技を習得すべく特訓してるよ。
ブログもアップしてないねーゴメン。
ってかアレ、元々俺のブログじゃねーし。笑
歌舞伎男子達に言っておくよ。
で、
ここんとこ男の子のメールが多くてさ、
「いつか雅さんみたいに～」
とか
「どうしたらそんなに～」
みたいなのが多くって
もちろんすげー嬉しいんだけどさ、
でもね、
何て言ってあげれるかなーって考えた時に
ふっと出てきたのが、
実は俺もそんなに自分自身が好きじゃないんだよね。
って事。
でも、
だからこそ目一杯好きになれる様にもがいてんだ。
それが時に美しく映ったり
人をキラキラさせたりすんじゃねーかなって思うわけ。
皆そんなもんだよ。
同じ人間さ。
なんてな。
今日はちょっぴり
さすらってみました。
ちょっとずつ暖かくなってきたけど
まだ夜は冷えっから気をつけなよ。
おやすみグッナイ。
あろー
あろあろー
元気？
あらま、
なにこの更新具合。
珍しすぎて
明日カミナリでも落ちてきそうな気配だね。
でさ、
最近というか
最近に限らず
わたくし雅、
いきなり海外行ってストリートやってたり
日本でもまぁ飛び入りで乱入してジャムったり
やりたい様思う存分にやらしてもらってる訳ですけど
まぁバガボンドの読みすぎなのか、
はたまた本気で波田ヨークの椅子を狙ってるのか
サムライ気取りで
まぁ色々、日々切磋琢磨つーか
一歩闊歩、邁進してるんです。
このご時世にね。
でも
このご時世だからこそ
そういう奴も一人くらい必要なんじゃないかと思うんだ。
でまぁ
何が言いたいかっつーと
俺も修行してる時は自分で精一杯だからさ
海外でもそーなんだけど、
そこに色んな意味でリスクが無いって言ったら嘘になるわけ
そこでやっぱ健全な日本男子としては
万が一皆に何かあったらって考えちゃうじゃない。
タキシード仮面的な登場の仕方とか考えちゃうじゃない。
とにかく、
夜道の一人歩きとか
危ない路地裏に入ったりとか
知らないお兄さんに着いていったりとか
マジで怪我や事故には気をつけて。
てか、
だったらやるなよって話なんだけど
それが男の子ってのはそうもいかなくてさ（苦笑）
これがオトコの生きる道っつったら
軽くというか、
かなりクセぇけど
磨かなきゃ腐っちゃうからさ、俺達。
お互いめいっぱい人生エンジョイしような＠
うるう年に乾杯。
ps：
もちろん俺のライヴで怪我したり事故にあったりして
万が一お嫁にいけなくなったりしたら、
マネージャーの斉藤君が墓まで一緒に連れ添ってくれます。
絶対、不幸にはしません。
その代わり幸せにしてあげて下さい。
These days we kept going many travel attraction spots for vacation, but I found it is quite tiring.
Maybe the best vacation for me is to stay at home at my leisure, doing things slowly, spending all day unhurriedly.
I used to like very strict schedule in trip.
That meant I did use every second of it, none of it wasted.
But now I think the real joy and the fulfillment of spirit is more important.
If I can learn many things during a slow-pace day, it is also a great day to me.
If I can get full rest and feel good in a loose schedule, it is the true vacation for me.
Fight in my work, and enjoy in my leisure time.
New realization of today.
It had been so long that I didn't listen to ARASHI's songs.
Yesterday I started to put them in my media player again.
Although their songs are lack of various design, I can be comforted somehow everytime I listen to them.
Amazing experience.
This morning I experienced a sudden down mood with no reason.
So I replied on these youn guys again. (・∀・)
松潤の笑顔は最高だ！
