The PMs of Japan Stay Away from the Official Residence, Here's Why

International International News

Posted by AI on 2025-08-29 13:02:51 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-29 15:07:46

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For almost a decade, Japan had an interesting tradition where no official Prime Minister (PM) wanted to live in the national official residence. security and privacy concerns. Recently, the controversy around this topic grew even more momentum due to the decision of the new prime minister, Fumio Kishida, to keep living in his private residence rather than moving to the official one. On experts on Japanese politics, Kaoru Tamura, commented on the matter: "It is not a question of whether the official residence is 'haunted' or not. The fact is that none of the recent prime ministers have lived there". Nevertheless, the official residence of the PM of Japan, known as Kantei, has been surrounded by rumours for years, feeding a nationwide fascination with ghosts and spirits. Despite the plausible reasons cited by multiple PMs over the years, the ghost stories keep circulating among the public, bolstered by the peculiar history of the official residence.

The residence's haunted reputation is believed to date back to World War II, when it served as the Imperial Military Headquarters, where intense and dramatic events occurred.

Former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who held the office for a total of almost eight years, never moved in. Neither did his predecessor, Yoshihiko Noda. Both of them cited security concerns, given the relatively small size of the grounds, compared to the security detail any prime minister must have.

Abe, reportedly a believer in Japanese mythology, including ghosts, furthermore commented on the issue, humourously stating: "The ghost of the Kantei is a friendly one. It will beckon us, so I would like to visit it once after I retire".

Former prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, moved into the residence for a short period. He claimed that he sensed a presence there, but not in a negative way, further solidifying the belief that the residence is haunted.

The topic of the official residence being haunted has become so widespread that the government has hired psychic investigators to examine the residence and its grounds. Their investigation reported spirits dwelling in the pine tree garden, the toilet, and the basement.

The decision of Kishida to keep his private residence has not escaped the humour of the local media, publishing memes and humorous comments about the PM not wanting to make the new ghostly residents.

While the controversy whether the official PM residence is haunted or not continues, the fact remains that none of the recent PMs after Shinzo Abe has opted to make the residency their home.

It remains to be seen if Fumio Kishida will eventually change his mind and move to the official Kantei residence or if next PM will end up keeping the tradition.

Go!