The Japanese official in charge of liaison for Senegal's World Cup soccer team at their training ground in central Japan has committed suicide, leaving a note saying the job was too much for him, officials said on Monday.

Osamu Okamura, a 52-year-old official of the Fujieda city government in central Shizuoka Prefecture, was found by family members hanging in his barn on Saturday morning, Kyodo news agency quoted local police as saying.

He left a suicide note at his home, in which he said he could not handle his job, Kyodo quoted police as saying.

One municipal official quoted the man as having told his colleagues recently: "Things are really awful at work."

The man was assigned to his new job as liaison between the Fujieda government and the Senegal team's training camp in April ahead of the arrival last Thursday of the Senegal team.

Senegal was expected to stay in the city until around May 22 before heading to Seoul for the first match of the month-long championship against titleholders France on May 31.