Japanese Prime Minister and her cockroach chronicles

Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi had a run-in with a cockroach at her official residence in Tokyo, leaving her feeling “lonely” and “sad” after it was gone.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had an unexpected run-in with a cockroach at her official residence in Tokyo, leaving her feeling “lonely” and “sad” after it was gone.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference marking the 81st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb, in Hiroshima on August 6, 2026. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT (AFP)

Addressing rumours about the 1920s mansion being haunted by spirits, Takaichi recently shared on X: “I’ve never encountered a ghost, but until recently, I was the one screaming when I came across cockroaches,” she wrote.

Despite her strict cleaning routine, she admitted being shocked by the pest. Yet, influenced by the concept of reincarnation in Osamu Tezuka’s manga Phoenix, she couldn’t bring herself to kill it.

Recalling the encounter, the 65-year-old further wrote, “Maybe this life is also part of that long cycle of reincarnation.”

She also added that she tolerated the insect’s presence for some time “hoping it would somehow leave on its own.”

However, her staff quickly stepped in to resolve the problem, following which the cockroaches stopped appearing.

Takaichi ended the anecdote by reflecting on the mixed emotions their disappearance left her with. “I felt relieved, but also a little lonely, or maybe sad…” she concluded.