Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrives at his office in Tokyo on Jan. 14 after a one-minute walk from his new residence. (Takeshi Iwashita)

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has moved into the Prime Minister’s Official Residence, located just a short stroll from his office in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward.

Ishiba relocated on Jan. 12 from his previous residence in an apartment building for lawmakers, located a few hundred meters away. He plans to retain the apartment as a second home.

Nearly a century old, the new residence is a grand building that once served as the prime minister’s office.

“I couldn’t have asked for more, but it’s too large to be practical,” said Ishiba on the morning of Jan. 14 as he arrived at his office after a one-minute walk from his new digs.

The move comes three months after Ishiba took office, during which time the residence underwent an inspection and renovation.

The relocation has enhanced the prime minister’s ability to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, given its proximity to the office.

However, the move may pose a challenge for communication within his political circle.

At his previous residence, he could easily have casual meetings and conversations with his neighbors, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Hiroshi Moriyama, the secretary-general of Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party.