Ghost tales won't spook Japan PM Ishiba from moving to official home

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed eagerness on Friday to move into the historic official residence despite its long-standing reputation for hauntings. The residence, a site of military rebellions and political assassinations, has been surrounded by ghostly rumors for decades.

Ishiba, who took office in October following the resignation of Fumio Kishida, has delayed moving into the residence pending inspections and repairs. While he refrained from specifying a move-in date for security reasons, he indicated his intention to relocate soon.

"I'm not particularly afraid," Ishiba remarked during an impromptu press conference when questioned about the hauntings. "It might be scary to actually see something, but it's not something we're worried about."

Constructed in 1929 and originally serving as the prime minister's office, the residence has witnessed several historical incidents, including the 1932 assassination of Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai during a military uprising. Over the years, rumors of ghostly apparitions have persisted, fueled by eerie accounts such as those from Yasuko Hata, the wife of former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata. In her 1996 memoir, she described experiencing an oppressive presence and noted claims of military officers being spotted in the garden late at night.

The structure underwent extensive remodeling in the early 2000s and has been designated as the official prime ministerial residence since 2005. Despite this, several leaders, including Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, opted not to live there, with Abe's delayed move in 2013 sparking government denials of haunting rumors.

Kishida, Ishiba's predecessor, moved into the residence in December 2021. When asked about ghostly encounters, Kishida reassured reporters that he had experienced no such phenomena and had slept peacefully during his stay.