// AKIpress
On February 18, the AKIpress news agency reported on Omuraliev's appointment on the social network X (formerly Twitter). The post about the appointment quickly became popular, not so much because of the event itself, but due to numerous comments from Japanese users noting his 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 a well-known politician, and his resemblance to Omuraliev sparked a wave of jokes, comparisons, and memes.
// Bloomberg/GettyImages
By February 20, the AKIpress post had garnered over 1,000 likes, 600 reposts and quotes, making it a major source of discussion, with total views exceeding 600,000. The topic of discussion attracted over a million interactions, with a noticeable predominance of Japanese traffic. This is a unique case where news from Central Asia gains worldwide popularity due to an accidental visual similarity.
Japanese users displayed creativity, with many comparing Omuraliev to "Gheru" (Ishiba's nickname), joking about "doppelgängers" and "career changes," and even discussing the politician's "secret life" (this link is available for registered users on X).
Some user comments:
@SOTA07NW08: Found Ishiba's doppelgänger in Kyrgyzstan; those eyes and the part in his hair are just a copy of Ishiba!
@arujetan: I heard there are similarities between Kyrgyz and Japanese people, but for politicians to look so alike is just too much.
@3egLmaklchU7: The Kyrgyz ambassador in Italy is just Ishiba!
@Ginger_NEGI: At first, I thought this was Ishiba-san in my feed, but it turns out to be the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan.
@RPGuserHIND: Ishiba who loves meat is in Kyrgyzstan, while Ishiba who prefers fish is in Japan.
@GORORIPUYO: For a moment, a photo that resembles Ishiba appeared in my feed, and it said "Kyrgyzstan."
@FJK03323226: No matter how you look at it, this is Ishiba in Kyrgyz style.
@reizan02: Ishiba is just too much — the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan.
@similar_face: Compared the photos. Similarity: 4.3 out of 5. If you remove the toxins from Ishiba, you'll get Omuraliev.
@tokiy_0904: Seriously, this is the Kyrgyz version of Ishiba on steroids!
@Djrongiaui1: Turns out Ishiba is Kyrgyz!
@04wlKVjDb9LhDS1: Ishiba-san seems to have gotten thicker hair.
Japanese commentators 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) and jokes about "versions" of Ishiba.
