Japan's prime minister said she became friends with a cockroach because she was lonely

• Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she became attached to a cockroach after working long hours alone at her official residence.

• She refused to kill it because her belief in reincarnation, inspired by the Firebird manga, made her feel every life has value.

• Her staff eventually removed the cockroach during what they jokingly called "Operation Combat", leaving her feeling "relieved, but also a little lonely."

• The confession comes as the Japanese leader faces falling approval ratings and criticism over her working style and government policies.

Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has shared one of the most unexpected stories you'll read today, admitting she became so lonely while working late nights that she ended up feeling attached to a cockroach living inside her official residence.

Yes, a cockroach.

The 65-year-old leader, who became Japan's first female prime minister, opened up about the experience in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), where she addressed questions about life inside the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo.

Many people had jokingly asked whether she had encountered the ghosts the residence is rumoured to have.

Her answer?

"I've never encountered a ghost, but until recently I was the one screaming when I came across cockroaches."

Takaichi explained that despite keeping the residence very clean, she was shocked when a cockroach suddenly ran past her feet.

According to her, she couldn't bring herself to kill it because of a childhood belief inspired by Firebird, the famous manga series by legendary Japanese creator Osamu Tezuka.

She wrote: "Maybe because of that, even now as an adult, I can't bring myself to kill insects, cockroaches included."

Instead of getting rid of it immediately, she simply hoped it would eventually leave on its own.

"For the cockroach that ran through the official residence, I thought things like, 'maybe this life is also part of that long cycle of reincarnation,' and for a while, I endured it, hoping it would somehow leave on its own."

Things changed when she eventually mentioned it to her secretaries.

One of them wasn't having any of it.

"'It's unclean. I'll handle it,' one of the secretaries said firmly, and arranged for Operation Combat."

After the pest was removed, Takaichi admitted she had mixed feelings.

"After that, the cockroaches stopped appearing. I felt relieved, but also a little lonely, or maybe sad."

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The unusual confession also offered a glimpse into the demanding lifestyle of Japan's leader.

Takaichi said she prefers working from the official residence instead of the prime minister's office because it reduces the burden on government staff and security personnel.

"I have made it a point to actively utilise the prime minister's residence, which allows me to minimise the number of staff and security personnel, including special police, who need to be involved."

She also revealed that she likes working with very few people around her.

When meetings are necessary, she said only the secretary or staff member directly responsible comes to the residence.

The Japanese leader has developed a reputation for working extremely long hours. Earlier this year, she celebrated finally getting five hours of sleep after saying she had become used to surviving on between zero and three hours each night since taking office.

Her husband, a former politician recovering from a stroke, reportedly handles the cooking at home.

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The social media posts came after reports claimed Takaichi had been spending much of her time at the prime minister's residence instead of parliament.

Japanese media reports say she has spent more than half of her weekends and public holidays there since taking office. Bloomberg also reported that she has held fewer cabinet meetings than any Japanese prime minister since 2012.

At the same time, her approval ratings have fallen following criticism over rising living costs and other policy decisions, including her support for maintaining Japan's male-only line of royal succession.

Still, it was her confession about missing a cockroach that got people talking online.

For many, it showed just how lonely life at the top can sometimes become, even for one of the world's most powerful leaders.