‘I’m not particularly afraid’: Japan’s Ishiba moves into 'haunted' PM house

Shigeru Ishiba began moving into the Japanese prime minister's official residence in central Tokyo on Saturday despite the paranormal tales about the building that witnessed military rebellions, according to Reuters. Ishiba dismissed the concerns that the residence is haunted by spirits that had tried to depose previous leaders.

Horror mystery!

The prime minister is well aware of the horror stories around the mansion and about the presence of spirits that tried to overthrow previous leaders of the nation, but he dismissed them. “I’m not particularly afraid,” Ishiba told reporters when asked about the ghost rumours. “It might be scary to actually see something, but it’s not something we’re worried about.”

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Ishiba’s apprehensions after defeat in elections

Ishiba became the prime minister in October but continued staying in an accommodation reserved for members of the Diet, Japan’s parliament. His shifting was delayed due to renovations of the building after it was vacated by former prime minister Fumio Kishida. Ishiba’s position as prime minister is delicate due to the defeat he faced in October’s general elections, and now he leads a minority government. In such a precarious situation, ghosts from the past might be the least concern for him.

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Haunting tales of Kantei

In 2002, the modern building called 'Kantei' was built near Tokyo’s Diet district, not just as the residence of the prime minister but also as the office of the chief cabinet secretary and Japan’s national crisis management centre. But some former leaders have refrained from living here even though it held importance.

> Yoshihide Suga, who served as prime minister for 13 months from September 2020, refused to move in, although he never explained why.

> In 2013, a politician asked then-prime minister Shinzo Abe if ghosts were the reason he hadn’t moved in. Abe dismissed the question, but his chief cabinet secretary at the time, Yoshihide Suga humorously said, “Now that you mention it, maybe I do feel something.”

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Ghostly encounters in the past

• In 2000, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori confided in a friend that he was hearing marching soldiers while staying at the residence.
  
  
• Junichiro Koizumi, prime minister from 2001 to 2006, had brought a Shinto priest to perform an exorcism before they moved in.
  
  
• Tsutomu Hata, the wife of former prime minister, also shared her experience in her 1996 memoirs. She said that she felt an uncanny presence during their two-month stay in 1994 when she saw military officers standing in the garden at night.

Isihiba, however, is unperturbed by the ghost tales and is focusing on his leadership battles. Unconcerned about the presence of spirits in Kantei, Ishiba’s move brings a new beginning to the historic residence.

(With inputs from agencies)