First lady Akie Abe, once known mainly for embracing progressive causes that put her at odds with her conservative spouse, is now in the hot seat as doubts
First lady Akie Abe, once known mainly for embracing progressive causes that put her at odds with her conservative spouse, is now in the hot seat as doubts revive about the murky land sale to nationalist school operator Moritomo Gakuen to which she had ties.
The daughter of a confectionery magnate, Abe has tried to carve out a U. S.-style public role as first lady in a land where political wives typically stay in the shadows. But that approach comes with risks, acquaintances and experts say.
“Her ideas and those of other wives of prime ministers are different,” said Yu Toyonaga, the head of a nonprofit organization promoting organic rice who has done volunteer work with her. “Rather than being a woman who is ‘useful’ within a male-dominated society, she wants to interact… as an autonomous person.”
Opposition parties are demanding she testify in the Diet about her ties to Moritomo Gakuen, the nationalist school operator whose deeply discounted purchase of government-owned land is at the heart of the suspected cronyism scandal and possible cover-up that has sliced Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s support ratings.
The Finance Ministry admitted March 12 that it had altered documents about the deal, including removing references to Akie Abe. Her husband has denied he or his wife intervened in the sale or that he ordered a cover-up.
The prime minister is opposed to her testifying, but 62 percent of respondents to a poll published Monday by the Nikkei financial newspaper said she should answer questions in the Diet. The survey showed that public support for Shinzo Abe has dropped to 42 percent while the ratio of respondents opposed to his Cabinet jumped to 49 percent.
Akie Abe, 55, has made waves since her husband returned to office in 2012 for a second term with activities that include taking part in an LGBT rights parade, opposing nuclear power and visiting protesters against a planned U.
