// AKIpress
On February 18, the news agency AKIpress published a story about Omuraliev's appointment, which quickly spread on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The virality of the post is attributed not only to the diplomatic event but also to comments from Japanese users who actively noted the resemblance to Ishiba.
[media=https://twitter.com/akipress/status/2023987156474114387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw]
Shigeru Ishiba, who served as Japan's Prime Minister from 2024 to 2025, became the subject of jokes and memes due to his unique resemblance to Omuraliev.
// Bloomberg/GettyImages
As of February 20, the original post by AKIpress had garnered over 1,000 likes, 600 reposts and quotes, making it a primary source of discussion, with total views exceeding 600,000. Engagement on the topic, including quotes and discussions, surpassed one million interactions, with significant traffic from Japan. This is a unique case where local news from Central Asia became a global meme due to visual similarity.
Japanese users displayed creativity: many compared Omuraliev to "Garu" (Ishiba's nickname), joked about "doppelgängers," and even constructed theories about the "secret life" of the diplomat (this link is available for registered users on X).
Here are some user comments:
@SOTA07NW08: There’s a doppelgänger of Mr. Ishiba in Kyrgyzstan. Those sparkling eyes and the part in his hair — it’s Mr. Ishiba all over!
@3egLmaklchU7: The ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in Italy is too much like Ishiba.
@Ginger_NEGI: I thought Ishiba-san had popped up in my feed, but it’s the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in Italy.
@RPGuserHIND: Meat-loving Ishiba is in Kyrgyzstan, fish-loving Ishiba is in Japan.
@GORORIPUYO: For a moment, a beautiful photo that looked like Ishiba flashed in my TL, but it said Kyrgyzstan.
@FJK03323226: No matter how you look at it — this is Ishiba in Kyrgyz form.
@reizan02: Too much like Ishiba — the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan.
@similar_face: Comparison of photos. Similarity: 4.3 out of 5. If you extract toxins from Ishiba, you get Omuraliev.
@tokiy_0904: Seriously, this is the Kyrgyz version of Ishiba on steroids.
@Djrongiaui1: Former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba turned out to be a Kyrgyz...!?
@04wlKVjDb9LhDS1: Ishiba-san, your hair has gotten thicker.
In general, user comments continue to refer to Omuraliev as "キルギスの石破" or "石破すぎる," adding epithets like "綺麗な" (beautiful/improved) or jokes about Ishiba's "version."
