A Cockroach, A Lonely Japan PM And Reincarnation: What's The Story?

What began as an attempt to deal with an unwanted infestation at Japan’s prime ministerial residence took an unexpectedly personal turn when PM Sanae Takaichi reflected on her reluctance to kill insects. The episode has since offered a glimpse into an unusual belief she has carried since childhood, shaped by a manga that explores life, death and the possibility of returning in another form.

Takaichi has revealed that she felt “a little lonely” after staff removed cockroaches from her official residence, where she had initially allowed one to remain because she could not bring herself to kill insects. Takaichi linked her reluctance to a childhood love of Osamu Tezuka's Firebird, a manga centred on reincarnation and the idea that life continues by changing forms.

Operation Combat: Kill The Cockroach

Takaichi revealed in a post on X that when she lived in the members’ dormitory, she never had an encounter with cockroaches. Even after moving to the official residence, she carefully wiped down the floor under the dining table, put food scraps in a sturdy lidded garbage can, and washed and sorted plastic containers. So she was shocked when, one day, a cockroach suddenly scurried past her feet!

Takaichi told her secretaries about the cockroach. They were apparently appalled. One secretary told her: “It’s unclean. I’ll handle it,” and the cockroaches vanished.

Takaichi said she felt relieved, but also “a little lonely, or maybe sad” after the cockroaches disappeared.

What About The Ghosts?

Takaichi has moved into the official prime ministerial residence in Tokyo. Known as the Kotei, the property serves as the administrative and residential base for the country's leader. Takaichi is currently residing in the residential wing alone, without her family. She described her initial feelings upon moving into the massive property as "relieved, lonely and sad".

Built in 1929, the Kotei carries a long-standing reputation for being haunted. This stems from bloody military coup attempts that occurred at the property in the 1930s, including the 1932 assassination of Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai.

The spooky history deterred recent leaders. Former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga refused to live in the residence during their terms, choosing private homes or lawmaker dormitories instead. Despite remaining vacant for a nine-year period between 2012 and 2021, the unoccupied estate still cost Japanese taxpayers approximately 160 million yen (roughly $1.4mn) annually for maintenance and upkeep.

Fumio Kishida broke that streak when he moved into the property in December 2021. He later reported experiencing no encounters with ghosts during his stay. Takaichi also noted she has never seen any ghosts in the historic building.

Since taking office as prime minister late last year, Takaichi has gained a reputation for working around the clock and spending long periods at her residence reviewing documents on her own, Japan Times reported. In July, she said on X that she gets only “zero to three” hours of sleep each night.

The Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday that Takaichi has remained at home for the entirety of a majority of Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays since becoming prime minister. Its calculations showed that the previous three prime ministers spent between 3% and 16% of their non-working days entirely at home.