Japan’s “Haunted” Residence: PM Sanae Takaichi Moves In
As 2025 draws to a close, Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has finally moved into the official residence. But she isn’t just moving into a mansion—she’s moving into a piece of history allegedly inhabited by the spirits of the past.A Bloody Past: The Origins of the Ghosts
To understand why the residence has such a spooky reputation, one has to look back to the 1930s—a decade of extreme political instability in Japan. The residence, completed in 1929, was the site of two violent attempted coups:
- The May 15 Incident (1932): A group of young naval officers broke into the building and assassinated Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai.
- The February 26 Incident (1936): Nearly 1,500 rebel soldiers took over the heart of Tokyo. During the siege of the residence, several high-ranking officials were killed. Prime Minister Keisuke Okada only survived by hiding in a laundry closet while his brother-in-law was mistaken for him and executed.
Why Was It Vacant for So Long?
While modern Prime Ministers like Fumio Kishida and Shigeru Ishiba lived in the residence, it famously sat empty for nearly nine years between 2012 and 2021. Both Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga preferred to commute from their private homes or smaller dormitories.
Abe, Takaichi’s former mentor, once joked to the media that he wouldn’t move in “because there are ghosts.” Whether he was joking or not, the cost of keeping the empty mansion running—estimated at over 160 million yen (approx. $1.1 million USD) per year—became a point of heated debate in the Japanese Diet.
Sightings and Supernatural Claims
The rumors aren’t just limited to “bad vibes.” Several former residents and their families have reported strange occurrences:
The Men in Uniform
The most common report involves the sightings of men in military uniforms from the 1930s roaming the gardens and hallways. The wife of former PM Tsutomu Hata once claimed she felt a “heavy presence” in the building and saw spirits in the garden, leading her to perform Shinto purification rituals.
The Sounds of Heavy Boots
Former PM Yoshiro Mori reportedly told others that he was once woken up by the sound of many heavy boots marching down the hallway. When he opened his door to investigate, the hallway was completely empty.
Sanae Takaichi: “Work Over Whispers”
Prime Minister Takaichi, who reportedly sleeps only two to four hours a night, seems unfazed by the prospect of ghostly encounters. For her, the move is a pragmatic response to the “35-minute delay” criticism she faced earlier this month. In a social media post on X, she emphasized: “Crisis management is crucial for running a country.”
By moving in, Takaichi is also providing a home for her husband, Taku Yamamoto, who is currently recovering from a stroke. The move allows her to balance the immense pressures of leading Japan with the personal responsibility of caring for her family.
Final Thoughts: A New Era for the Sori Kotei
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the Prime Minister’s residence remains one of the most culturally significant buildings in Tokyo. As Sanae Takaichi settles in, the “haunted” mansion is once again the literal seat of power. Only time will tell if she—like Kishida before her—will report “sleeping soundly,” or if the ghosts of the 1930s have something to say to Japan’s first female leader.
