SHINZO'S GHOST

Some of the more niche memes that continue to grow in lore are those featuring Shinzo Abe's ghost protecting Donald Trump. Just after the newly elected 47th President of the United States miraculously dodged a bullet fired at his head by Thomas Matthew Crooks during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a meme appeared on X suggesting that it was Shinzo Abe's ghost that had redirected the small-caliber cartridge, either with his hand or by the blade of his samurai sword. This was especially poignant for many Abe and Trump supporters after Trump’s brush with death, as Abe himself had been assassinated on July 8, 2022, and was regarded as a close international ally to Trump during their time as leaders of their respective countries.

Many Japanese accounts online have frequently adapted the mythology of Trump’s epic political story into anime form, so the Shinzo’s Ghost meme works especially well by blending their larger-than-life popular culture with that of Donarudo Toranpu (ドナルド・トランプ), otherwise known as Donald J. Trump.

Recently added to the Shinzo/Trump meme lore was the ghostly presence of Peanut the Squirrel (a TikTok and Instagram star) who had been euthanised by New York State officials. This incident prompted Trump’s campaign team to use the story as an example of government overreach, inspiring thousands of memes of Trump protecting squirrels. Now, with both Abe and Peanut, the ever-expanding story of the original meme is growing further into a realm of comic myth-making.

It should also be noted that an actual squirrel ran across the stage just before Kamala Harris gave her concession speech yesterday at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, D.C., further highlighting the symbiosis between our online and offline realities these days as well as proving (to some) the unique power and sorcery of 'meme magic'.

As much as I enjoy the recent inclusion of Peanut, it’s the original Shinzo and Trump pairing that remains the most compelling—the idea that Abe’s ghost is helping Trump from heaven as he fights his battles on earth. This concept seems to draw from classic Japanese folklore, such as the protective yūrei, as well as from the Jedi Knights in Star Wars, like Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. There’s something strangely touching about seeing the former Japanese Prime Minister (brutally slain) live on through the power of Trump memes.

Who knew that Abe’s legacy could be immortalised in such a way?

Personally, I reckon that (fun guy that he supposedly was) he would have loved them.