Japan PM's official residence: A haunted legacy or just a bloody history?

The official residence of Japan’s Prime Minister, commonly referred to as the Sōri Daijin Kantei, has long been a subject of fascination. Known for its architectural grandeur and historical significance, it is equally infamous for its ghostly reputation.

The Kantei’s (now former Kantei) haunting tales, tied to the dark chapters of Japan’s military and political history, have left many speculating about its supernatural occupants.

We take a look at the official residence of the prime minister of Japan, often mistaken for what is now referred to as the Kantei which is the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei, the official workplace of the prime minister of Japan.

What we know about the Kantei

The former Kantei, the official residence of Japan’s Prime Minister, was completed on March 18, 1929. Its primary structure consisted of a two-storey reinforced concrete section, encompassing a total floor area of approximately 5,200 square metres.

Following the significant damage sustained by central government ministry buildings during the Great Kanto Earthquake on September 1, 1923, the government launched the Central Government Ministry Construction Plan. The Kantei was constructed as the centrepiece of this ambitious initiative.

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Although frequently mistaken as a creation of Frank Lloyd Wright, the renowned American architect behind the former Imperial Hotel (completed in July 1924), the Kantei was actually designed by Muraji Shimomoto.

Shimomoto, an architect from the Building Division of the Ministry of Finance’s Facility Management Department, acknowledged Wright’s influence on Japanese architecture during that era. Reflecting on the project, Shimomoto stated that it “was not an imitation of Wright’s work; rather, I would say it was built in the Wright style.”

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Kantei was meant to be the administrative and residential hub for Japan’s political leadership. However, its history soon became intertwined with some of the nation’s most turbulent and tragic episodes, casting a shadow over its legacy.

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Why the Kantei is seen as haunted

The haunting reputation of the Kantei stems largely from two pivotal events in Japan’s history.

• The May 15 incident (1932): On this fateful day, 11 young naval officers assassinated then-Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai within the Kantei’s walls. The officers, disillusioned with Inukai’s perceived opposition to the military, received surprisingly light sentences due to public sympathy.

• The February 26 incident (1936): Four years later, the Kantei was once again the centre of chaos during an attempted coup by Imperial Army officers. Several government officials, including two former prime ministers, were killed. However, Prime Minister Keisuke Okada narrowly escaped death by hiding in a closet while his brother-in-law, mistaken for Okada, was shot in his place.

These violent uprisings left a permanent mark on the residence. A small hole, believed to be from a bullet fired during the 1936 coup, remains near the entrance as a reminder of the carnage.

The aftermath of these events gave rise to tales of hauntings. Over the years, rumours of ghostly apparitions, often described as men in military uniforms, wandering the residence and its gardens at night have persisted.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori once told the late Shinzo Abe about seeing ghosts in the Kantei, a revelation reported by Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun.

Similarly, Yasuko Hata, wife of former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata, wrote in her memoir about feeling an eerie and oppressive presence during her time at the residence. “Military officers are said to be seen standing in the garden in the middle of the night,” she noted.

These stories, coupled with the building’s dark history, have fuelled speculation that the spirits of those who died during the uprisings still haunt the Kantei’s halls.

Exorcisms conducted as the Kantei remained vacant

For years, the Kantei remained unoccupied by Japan’s prime ministers. Despite its historical significance, several leaders chose to live elsewhere, citing various reasons.

During his record-breaking tenure as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe avoided living at the Kantei after a brief stay during his first term (2006-2007). He instead commuted from his private residence in Tokyo’s Shibuya district.

Yoshihide Suga, Abe’s successor also bypassed the Kantei, opting for parliamentary housing. The arrangement, while practical, fuelled public scrutiny over the taxpayer cost of maintaining the unused residence — estimated at 160 million yen (approximately $1.4 million) annually.

To address both practical and symbolic concerns, the Kantei underwent extensive renovations between 2002 and 2005. The 8.6 billion yen ($75.8 million) project included modernising the facility while preserving its unique architectural features. Reports also suggest that a Shinto exorcism was conducted during this period to cleanse the site of its rumoured spirits.

Despite these efforts, superstition continued to overshadow the residence. The lack of a permanent occupant for nearly a decade further fuelled the belief that the Kantei was haunted or inauspicious.

Then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida moved into the Kantei in December 2021, becoming the first leader to do so in nearly ten years. Addressing the rumours head-on, he dismissed concerns about ghosts. Kishida at the time had stated that he hadn’t seen any ghosts, and had slept well through the night.

Now Kishida’s successor, Shigeru Ishiba has expressed willingness to embrace the Kantei’s history. “I’m not particularly afraid,” he said when asked about its haunted reputation. “It might be scary to actually see something, but it’s not something we’re worried about.”

When all is said and done, the Sōri Daijin Kantei’s ornate halls and storied past still continue to captivate the public imagination.

With inputs from agencies