Ghosts haunt authorities in Japan.
A delay in the move of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife to the official residence, a site of past assassinations, revived rumors of ghosts in the corridors, prompting the government to deny any knowledge of hauntings.
TOKYO, May 25 (Reuters) - A delay in the move of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife to the official residence, a site of past assassinations, revived rumors of ghosts in the corridors, prompting the government to deny any knowledge of hauntings.
Abe has not moved into the official prime minister's residence since taking office five months ago.
Asked by an opposition lawmaker about reports of hauntings, the government issued an official statement on Friday saying it was unaware of any ghost sightings, according to the Asahi newspaper and other media outlets.
The residence, the former office of the prime minister, was built in 1929 and was the site of military rebellions, including in 1932 when then-Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai was assassinated.
Rumors of ghosts have long haunted the building, which was remodeled in the early 2000s. It has served as the official residence of the prime minister and his family since 2005. Abe did not provide an explanation for the delay in moving, but it is not uncommon for the prime minister to take some time to move.
(Reporting by Linda Sieg and Yoko Kubota)