Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori Visits a High-End Steakhouse, Looking Emaciated and Unrecognizable… A Somber Birthday Party for the “Don of the Seiwakai”

The “cheerful old man” look he displayed at the birthday party

On July 14, as a severe heat wave hit the city center, a private gathering was quietly held at the Ginza steakhouse “Hirayama.” It was a birthday party for former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori (89).

“Hirayama” is an ultra-luxury restaurant where dinner costs around 50,000 yen per person. In the past, it was a renowned establishment frequented by heavyweight politicians such as the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (who passed away at age 67) and former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (77), who held numerous secret meetings there to analyze the political landscape and devise policies and party strategies.

At 5:00 p.m., the guest of honor, Mr. Mori, arrived in a white luxury car. Pushed in a wheelchair by an attendant, he entered the restaurant. Gone was the imposing physique he once boasted as a powerful faction leader; he had become emaciated, looking almost like a different person.

When greeted by the chef, his expression seemed to soften ever so slightly. The piercing gaze with which he once glared at his political rivals had softened, making him look like a kindly old man.

“It was a birthday party attended only by his family—his wife and daughter, among others. Apparently, no politicians were present. Mr. Mori used to enjoy the restaurant’s famous steak, but lately he’s been limited to soup and just a small portion of hamburger steak. This time, it seemed he was more focused on enjoying time with his family than on the meal itself.

“Mr. Mori currently spends his days shuttling between a high-end nursing home—said to have an admission fee of about 60 million yen—and the hospital. Amid this, he was invited by the restaurant through an acquaintance, and that’s how the gathering came about,” said a Liberal Democratic Party official.

Around 8:00 p.m., Mr. Mori left the restaurant and, having been presented with a bouquet—perhaps a birthday gift—returned to the nursing home with a satisfied expression.

The Liberal Democratic Party, now without its elder statesman, remains in turmoil. Following the slush fund scandal involving factional party tickets in 2024–2025, nearly all factions were dissolved.

However, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (65) relied on the sole remaining faction, the Aso faction (Shikokai), to win the party leadership election. In the House of Representatives election last February, many lawmakers implicated in the slush fund scandal were re-elected. The party has yet to fully break away from its own chronic ailment—the “factions”—which served as a breeding ground for the slush fund scandal.

Mr. Mori’s small back as he was pushed away from Ginza in a wheelchair seemed to symbolize the end of an era.

The July 24 issue of *FRIDAY* (August 7 & 14 edition) and the paid version, *FRIDAY GOLD*, feature photos of Mr. Mori’s role in the split of the former Seiwaka-kai faction, as well as additional photos from his birthday party.

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From the August 7 & 14, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*