Plastic Model Enthusiast and Cosplay Fan... Japan's New Prime Minister is an 'Otaku' [Japanese Side]

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Famous as the 'Otaku Prime Minister'
Popular for 'Majin Buu Cosplay'... An 'All-Rounder' Who Masters Idols, Curry, and Cats
Moderate Faction in the LDP... Attention on Warming Japan-South Korea Relations

On the 1st of last month, Japan's new prime minister took office. Shigeru Ishiba, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, was elected as the 102nd prime minister. There were many comments around questioning whether the name 'Ishiba' was correct because it sounded unusual... In fact, Prime Minister Ishiba is well-known in Japan as an 'otaku,' a term used to describe enthusiasts or maniacs. Japanese media often featured headlines calling him the 'Otaku Prime Minister.' Today, we share the story of Prime Minister Ishiba, who is known as the 'Otaku Prime Minister.'

Prime Minister Ishiba was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986 at the young age of 29. Following in the footsteps of his father, who served as governor of Tottori Prefecture, Ishiba became a member of the Diet after graduating from university and working as a banker. Such hereditary politics are quite common in Japan. He first joined the cabinet in 2002 as Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Koizumi's administration. Since then, he has frequently appeared as a leading candidate for prime minister, and this time he was finally elected.

New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is giving a speech wearing a costume of the Dragon Ball character 'Majin Buu' at the opening ceremony of the figure exhibition hall in Kumayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture in 2018. (Photo by FNN)

After Ishiba was elected, Japanese media widely reported him as the 'Otaku (a Japanese term for a fanatic) Prime Minister.' One of his most notable otaku moments was a photo of him cosplaying as Majin Buu, a character from the manga 'Dragon Ball.' Ishiba, who hails from Tottori Prefecture, attended the opening ceremony of the Figure Museum in Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, in 2018. At the event, he gave a congratulatory speech while dressed as Majin Buu, which caused quite a stir. The museum organizers said they couldn't ask him to cosplay beforehand, so upon his arrival, they requested, "Since everyone is attending in cosplay to match the theme of the figure museum, could you please cosplay as well?" He readily agreed. Thanks to this, the exhibition hall featured a cosplay dream team: the mayor dressed as Son Goku, the governor of Tottori Prefecture as Amuro Ray from 'Mobile Suit Gundam,' and a member of the House of Councillors as Vegeta.

The organizers originally prepared a different costume, but due to size issues, Ishiba ended up wearing the Majin Buu outfit. He then seriously delivered his congratulatory speech in cosplay, which became a hot topic on social media (SNS). Thanks to the humorous reception, the nickname 'Majin Buu Ishiba' became firmly established among netizens, and Ishiba himself often mentioned in street speeches the episode, "You never know what will happen in life, just like how I ended up cosplaying as Majin Buu."

The appearance of newly appointed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (far right) attending the opening ceremony of the figure exhibition hall in Kumayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture in 2018. (Photo by FNN)

His willingness to cosplay is rooted in his genuine passion as a huge plastic model (plamodel) enthusiast. During his time as a member of the Diet, he reportedly assembled and displayed a large number of plastic models in the Diet members' office building. He was even spotted wandering around plastic model shops in Akihabara, Tokyo, which is famous as a mecca for plastic models and figures. He is also known as a 'railway otaku.' When returning to his hometown of Tottori Prefecture, he insisted on taking trains with sleeping cars.

He also enjoys cooking and is particularly fond of curry. He has been known to buy fresh shrimp directly from fishermen, prepare and cook it in the Diet members' office building, and serve it to others. He has also brought spices to Liberal Democratic Party events' eve parties to make and share curry, which is part of his track record.

Above all, no otaku story is complete without idol fandom. Ishiba is known as a huge fan of the Japanese girl group 'Candies,' active in the 1970s. When asked why, he simply said, "Because they are cute." He even once had a debate with an acquaintance about his favorite member.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He is also famous as a 'cat-loving human.' Strangely, when he appears on broadcasts with cats, the cats tend to approach him, earning him a reputation as a 'magnet.' He recalls secretly bringing cats home as a child, hiding them in the closet to avoid being caught by his parents, and feeding them milk. Of course, the cats only stayed for a couple of days before escaping back to the wild.

He often uses photos with cats in his profile on X (formerly Twitter), and when a cat that appeared with him on a TV program passed away, he even sent a condolence wreath in his name. On TV, he once stated his belief that "the human world cannot exist without cats."

New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba playing with cats at a cat shelter in Tokyo in February 2020. (Photo by Terehigashi)

Four years ago, ahead of the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, he visited a cat shelter in Tokyo on Japan's Cat Day (February 22) with BS TV Tokyo and gave a speech addressed to the cats. He said, "Dear cats, politics values cats. We will make this a day to pledge to cherish all living things."

In any case, compared to former Prime Minister Kishida, who is known for being dull, Ishiba seems to have succeeded in building a sense of familiarity. In South Korea, many hold expectations for him because he has taken a moderate stance on historical issues and Korea-Japan relations. He has also voiced opposition to visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, leading some to suggest he should be considered a de facto 'pro-Korean faction.'

However, on the other hand, there are concerns that it is premature to have high expectations for him. He is not affiliated with any particular faction such as the 'Abe faction,' raising worries about his weak support base. Even former Prime Minister Kishida, who was also classified as moderate, failed to secure reappointment. In the recent Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, the frontrunner in the preliminary round was Sanae Takaichi, the Minister of Economic Security, who inherited the far-right faction of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. It was widely reported that former Prime Minister Taro Aso, known as a kingmaker, told Takaichi, "Only seven people in LDP history have served as prime minister for more than three years, so prepare yourself." With the possibility of a return to a far-right era increasing, it remains to be seen how Prime Minister Ishiba will manage the administration going forward.