Departures of note

Masao Yora was a Japanese political journalist who spent his career at the Mainichi Shimbun. Born in Hamakita, Shizuoka Prefecture, he graduated from Nagoya University and joined the newspaper in 1981, working first in the Chubu bureau before being assigned to the Tokyo political desk in 1989, where he long covered the Abe and Mitsuzuka factions of the Liberal Democratic Party.

He rose through the editorial ranks, serving as an editorial writer from 2004, deputy chief editorial writer from 2010, and special editorial committee member from 2014 until his retirement from the company in March 2023. From 2010 he wrote the long-running evening column "Nekketsu! Yora Seidan." After retiring he continued as a journalist and guest editorial committee member for the Mainichi Shimbun.

Beyond print journalism, Yora was a familiar political commentator on national television and radio, appearing on programs such as TBS's "Mino Monta no Asa Zuba!," "Sunday Morning," and "N Star," as well as MBS's "VOICE" and "Chichin Puipui." He also served as a visiting professor at Waseda University's Graduate School of Political Science and on government advisory panels. He died of stomach cancer on August 30, 2026, at the age of 69.