Departures of note

Takeaki Matsumoto (松本 剛明, 25 April 1959 – 27 July 2026) was a Japanese politician. A native of Tokyo, he graduated from the University of Tokyo and entered politics with his first election to the House of Representatives in 2000, representing Hyogo's 11th district. He was a member of the Democratic Party of Japan before later joining the Liberal Democratic Party.

Matsumoto held senior cabinet posts, serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2011 under Prime Minister Naoto Kan, and later as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in the Kishida administration from 2022 to 2023. He also served as Deputy Foreign Minister and held various leadership roles within his party, including chairing policy research committees.

In his later years, Matsumoto announced his retirement from politics in early 2025 due to health concerns. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and died at a Tokyo hospital on 27 July 2026 at the age of 67.