New Delhi :
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided to stay in his official residence only. This house is constantly being described as a haunted house. Ishiba was elected Prime Minister of Japan in October this year. The official residence of the Prime Minister of the country holds many stories within itself and many people who have lived here have shared strange experiences related to it. This is the reason why this official residence of the Prime Minister of the country is now gaining a lot of headlines as a haunted house.
What is the specialty of this building?
This two-storey mansion was originally built of stone and bricks in 1929. This building spread over 5183 square meters was initially built as the Prime Minister’s Office. Its Art Deco design symbolized Japan’s transition toward modernism in the early 20th century. It was inspired by the architectural style of the Imperial Hotel, which was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Imperial Hotel was completed in 1923 and withstood the Great Kanto earthquake, which devastated much of Tokyo.
History related to many big events
This building has been witness to many tumultuous events in the political history of Japan. In 1932, during the attempted coup of then Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai, young naval officers were assassinated in this building. Four years after this incident, another military rebellion took place at that place. Then-Prime Minister Keisuke Okada narrowly escaped assassination by hiding in a closet, although five people were shot dead during the rebellion. A bullet mark above one of the entrances reminds of those events.
Renovation cost 8.6 billion yen
After decades of wear and tear, the building was renovated, which was completed in 2005. The Government of Japan spent approximately 8.6 billion yen to maintain the mansion’s former grandeur while modernizing it into a luxurious residence for prime ministers. After this, this residence is officially the home of the Prime Minister since 2005.
Ghost stories and terrifying experiences
The Prime Minister’s residence has long been associated with ghost stories. These things mainly stem from its violent history. Yasuko Hata, wife of former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata, described her horrific experiences while living here in a 1996 memoir. He described feeling a “terrible and oppressive presence” and claimed to see the shadows of military officers in the garden during the night.
Another former prime minister, Yoshiro Mori, reportedly told Shinzo Abe that he had encountered ghosts in the residence. Despite this, government officials have repeatedly rejected such things. In 2013, during Shinzo Abe’s second term as Prime Minister, the government formally denied any knowledge of the hauntings after Abe’s decision not to reside in the building was questioned. After Abe, Yoshihide Suga also decided not to live here.
After becoming Prime Minister in December 2021, Fumio Kishida lived in the official Prime Minister’s residence. When Kishida was asked about ghosts, he said that he did not encounter any and slept well throughout the night.
