Japan’s new Prime Minister was a Dragon Ball Z cosplayer – sort of

Dragon Ball’s influence stretches far and wide, including into politics, as Japan’s latest Prime Minister can personally attest.

The Dragon Ball franchise is one of the most beloved in manga and anime. For almost 40 years, we’ve been following Goku and the Z Fighters as they defend Earth, the universe and beyond from peril, giving us several of the best anime shows and anime movies in the process.

Akira Toriyama’s work has stretched far and wide, including the echelons of power in Japan, as evidenced by current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru doing an event dressed as Majin Buu. He recently spoke on national television about the incident.

As shared and translated by Jeffrey J Hall on X/Twitter, Ishiba reflected on his cosplaying stint, revealing it was a happy accident. Basically, he was there for the opening of a new toy museum, when someone asked him to take the costume.

With no time to argue, Ishiba did what any sane politician would do and threw on the garb, embracing his inner anime antagonist for the proceeding public appearance. He sported the look for his entire time at the event.

Ishiba was elected as Prime Minister on September 27, 2024. He’s President of the Liberal Democratic Party, and his time in office stretches back to 1986, when he first entered the House of Representatives.

All well and good, but now the big questions are: Is he excited for Dragon Ball Daima, and where does he stand on Dragon Ball GT?

The people need to know! Daima represents a bittersweet moment for the property, as it brings Goku, Vegeta and the gang back to our screens, but it’s Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball swansong after his untimely death earlier this year.

If nothing else, this whole incident just makes it clear the kind of legacy Akira left behind.