Former Foreign Minister Yohei Kono was discharged from the hospital Sunday, after undergoing an operation in April to receive part of his son's liver.
At around noon, a smiling Kono walked at an easy pace to the exit of the Shinshu University Hospital in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.
He thanked the doctors and nurses, and said: "I am feeling good. In fact, it is the first time for me to feel this way in a long time."
Kono underwent the 11-hour operation April 16 to treat cirrhosis of the liver. He has been recovering without complications and is expected to have regular checkups at a Tokyo hospital.