Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Japan PM Takaichi Says Cockroach Removal Left Her Lonely
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi talked about life in her official home.
She said she had not seen the ghosts that legends associate with the building.
Instead, she saw cockroaches and was shocked because she tried to keep the residence clean.
She did not want to kill them because a manga had made her think about reincarnation and the value of life.
Her staff removed the cockroaches in an effort she jokingly called “Operation Combat.”
Afterward, Takaichi felt relieved but also lonely and sad.
She also explained that she works at the residence because it is close to her office.
Reports say she works very long hours and sometimes gets little sleep.
Critics worry that this lifestyle and her reduced contact with colleagues could send an unhealthy message.
Sanae Takaichi said she encountered cockroaches at Japan’s official residence but no reported ghosts.
She declined to kill the insects, citing reincarnation themes from Osamu Tezuka’s Phoenix manga.
Her secretaries organized “Operation Combat,” after which the cockroaches reportedly stopped appearing.
Takaichi said she uses the residence as a workplace because it is next to her office and supports smaller meetings.
Reports and critics have questioned her long hours, limited sleep, seclusion at the residence, and work-life-balance example.
- Who
- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, her secretaries, and critics and media outlets examining her work habits.
- What
- Takaichi described a cockroach incident at the official residence and explained why she increasingly works there.
- When
- She discussed the incident in an August 22 post on X after moving into the residence in December; the articles do not specify the year.
- Where
- The Japanese prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo.
- Why
- Her secretaries removed the cockroaches after she said she could not kill them, while Takaichi said she uses the residence to reduce commuting, limit staff and security burdens, and respond quickly to emergencies.
Critics and reported concerns
Takaichi’s stated rationale
Working from the official residence
Critics and reported concerns
Critics and media reports portray Takaichi as spending substantial time at the residence and having fewer interactions with lawmakers and officials than predecessors.
Takaichi’s stated rationale
Takaichi says the residence is also a workplace because it is next to her office, eliminates commuting, and allows rapid responses to emergencies while reducing demands on staff and security personnel.
Long hours and work-life balance
Critics and reported concerns
Critics argue that her reported zero-to-three hours of sleep, homemaking responsibilities, and heavy workload could set a poor example for work-life balance and gender equality.
Takaichi’s stated rationale
Takaichi presents her long hours, weekend work, meetings, and document reading as ways of managing the demands of serving as prime minister.
Communication and leadership style
Critics and reported concerns
Reports say Takaichi has avoided some parliamentary sessions, held fewer cabinet meetings than any Japanese prime minister since 2012 according to Bloomberg, and increasingly communicated through X rather than the media.
Takaichi’s stated rationale
Takaichi says smaller meetings with only relevant staff can be more efficient and that the residence enables remote or in-person discussions when needed.
- Prime minister
- Sanae Takaichi, 65
- Residence
- Japan’s official prime ministerial residence in Tokyo
- Move-in
- Takaichi moved into the residence in December
- Cockroach response
- Her secretaries organized an effort called “Operation Combat,” after which sightings reportedly stopped
- Work arrangement
- Takaichi said the residence supports remote and in-person meetings, after-hours work, and document reading
- Sleep claim
- She said she had routinely slept between zero and three hours before reporting that she had finally managed five hours in July
- Political scrutiny
- Reports questioned her attendance at parliamentary sessions, time spent at the residence, and interactions with lawmakers and officials
