[War & Business] The Jinx of the Japanese Prime Minister's Residence

The residence of the Prime Minister located in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Japan. It had been vacant for nine years since 2012, but on the 11th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida moved in. [Image source=Official website of the Prime Minister of Japan]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida moving into the Prime Minister's Official Residence has been prominently reported by Japanese media. While it is perfectly natural in our country for a prime minister to move into the official residence after appointment, it became even bigger news in Japan because the residence had been left vacant for a full nine years.

The reason the Japanese Prime Minister's Official Residence remained empty for such a long time was due to various superstitions surrounding the residence. Rumors such as ghosts inhabiting the residence or that any prime minister moving in would see their administration end within a year led not only former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga but also former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to avoid living there.

The superstition surrounding the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Japan has a history of over 100 years. It is said to date back to the tenure of Hirobumi Ito, Japan's first prime minister. Hirobumi, who became Japan's first prime minister in 1885, was assassinated in Harbin in 1909 by Korean independence activist An Jung-geun, which marked the beginning of the prime ministers' fear of the residence. This fear intensified further after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, which completely destroyed the residence.

Although the residence was rebuilt in 1929, it was soon marred by a military rebellion. In 1932, Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai was assassinated at the residence, and the building suffered severe damage. After that, prime ministers began commuting from their own homes. For a long time after the war, the residence was poorly maintained due to its unfavorable location until it was extensively rebuilt in 2002.

Since the new residence was completed in 2005, seven prime ministers have moved in, but six of them maintained their administrations for just about a year before their terms ended prematurely. This made the superstition a very sensitive issue not only for the prime ministers but also for the ruling party. Even Junichiro Koizumi, the only prime minister known to have broken the short-term curse, reportedly performed a ritual to ward off ghosts before moving in.

The reason Prime Minister Kishida decided to move into the residence despite these superstitions is believed to be his awareness of criticism directed at his predecessor, Prime Minister Suga, for not responding quickly enough during the COVID-19 crisis. Moving into the residence allows the prime minister to reach the office within a minute and hold meetings with key cabinet ministers, whereas Suga, mindful of the superstition, stayed outside and reportedly wasted over 20 minutes each time commuting. Ultimately, the Suga administration's approval ratings plummeted, and it ended as a short-lived administration without the prime minister moving into the residence.

This shows that the prestige and capability of an administration depend not on the feng shui of the residence but on how well the government aligns with public sentiment. It is hoped that the Blue House, which also faces feng shui controversies during every presidential election, will demonstrate wisdom by thoroughly gauging public opinion before considering a new location.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.