Abe's wife tells U.S. audience about pain of political life

I see she's at the Japan Society in New York. Can she speak any English?

Japan seems to have a lot of nervous breakdowns among its leaders...

Do we have to listen to her to ?

I admire this woman far more than her husband, but I'm not exactly sure what the purpose of her speeches are other than to actually show Abe is doing a pretty horrible job of getting women in the workplace (aside from the obvious right-wing plants who fraternize with neo-nazis and want NPPs turned back on). Sounds like her job here is to just make things seem rosier than they actually are.

At least she is trying and perhaps setting an example for other women in Japan.

She should have been PM instead of her husband.

The more I read about what she says (which is normally in foreign media, because Japanese domestic media doesn't report her musings as often), I often wonder what do Mr & Mrs Abe have in common? And she is just like screw it, Im gonna finally speak my mind despite how it contradicts my prime minister husband.

Not sure whether its her or the writer of the article but what on earth is she trying to say

Must be so hard struggling as the wife of a PM....

Getting his wife up and taking a soft stance against him is Abe's plan. Everything she says is rhetorical and is very easily answered by Abe, which is exactly the role he wants for his wife. She's Abe's puppet and is actually very counterproductive to the plight of women in Japan.

I have met her and she speaks perfect English and is her own woman. She is against raising the tax to 10% and on the other side of the fence on some of her husbands policies . A vary good First Lady and she doesn't try to change the kids lunch habits.

Oh, barf, Women's "motherly instinct" is going to boost the Japanese economy? Everything she says in public on this issue is calibrated to fit the expectations of the old men who run Keidanren and Japan. Nothing she does is going to change any of Abe's right-wing beliefs and anybody who thinks it will is just letting themselves be hoodwinked by this man and his cronies.

I'll ask my question again. Can she speak english?

actually pretty impressive, she is outspoken on two major policy points - she does not block people from facebook or other accounts- where in the US you are not only blocked but investigated /fined and jailed.

she is open regarding how she feels- unlike the US where for some reason we expect political wives to lose all feelings, start wearing butch clothing and styles and act "just like one of the guys"

as for how well she can speak English - does not matter - there will be an interpreter at the Japan Society ( oh BTW you can take lessons on how to speak Japanese there - novel concept I know....)

@paulinusa:

I have no idea but is it necessary? she is addressing Japanese society in NY.

Abe said she was crying and did not want to face waiting media, but noticed well-wishers across the street who were smiling.

Maybe an honorable mention, but no Oscar. Most of the things the article recounts, just seems a bit too planned and polished to ring true.

Japan's First Lady and their might-have-been first ladies know what is meant by hostile fire. Every one of them deserves a medal.

Japan’s First Lady Akie Abe, taking on a rare public role overseas, told a U.S. audience on Wednesday about her deep unhappiness after her husband’s first stint in power.

She's not "Japan's First Lady", she's the Japanese Prime Minister's wife.

If Japan has a "first Lady", it's the Empress.

Either way it's a needless Americanism Japan can do without.

She is talking about her "deep unhappiness after her husband’s first stint in power". What about our deeper unhappiness about his second stint? Where is her compassion for this?

"as for how well she can speak English - does not matter"

" I have no idea but is it necessary?"

No, not necessary, but I've been to the Japan Society in NYC many times and some visitors speak English, some not. Why does simply asking whether she speaks English implication of criticism?

Japan seems to have a lot of nervous breakdowns among its leaders...

Besides Abe pray tell and name one other Japanese PM that had a nervous breakdown? And technically speaking Abe didnt have one either.

@praack

she does not block people from facebook or other accounts- where in the US you are not only blocked but investigated /fined and jailed.

Can I have some of what you are smoking, please? Who has been arrested based on viewpoints expressed on facebook?

Pain of political wife or pain of being married to Abe? Must be so hard having your lifestyle financed by the people of Japan...

Oh to be rich and powerful. What a burden that must be....

She talked to US Audience, Of cause in English, '

She was educated at Sacred Heart School in Tokyo ( Seishin Joshi Gakuin), a Roman Catholic High & Middle School, then graduated from Sacred Heart Professional Training College (Seishin Joshi Gakuin Senmon Gakko) The school is well known for their English emphasis.

She was preparing to work before he became PM. She beecame Rikkyo Uuiv Master course student, Then she earned MS Comparative System Network. The subject that hire people regardless of Gender.

She was ready to apply for a job to feed Abe, then (2011)

From her experience when she was young and could not get a job in her grandpa created Morinaga, she ;prepared to make sick husband as house husband and studied a technology subject that has no gender discrimination in employment,

well done akie abe. ya maybe she would been better pm for japan. but still running japan is harder than ppl think.

There is no Japan Society organization in NY, There are Japanese American Association in major cities in USA and once in a year they have annual meetings by representatives of each association,

The members are American people whose one or more ancestors are Japanese and they speak in English, If you are Japanese from Japan and You get invited to their meeting and you speak in your Japanese, they don;t understand you and they treat you like you are an antique, I asked my daughters what is the common things they have beside they have Japanese ancestor(s) when my daughters arranged free banquets by one Casino hotels for national meetings in Southern Nevada,. they were trying ti think and they said "We all grew up with chopsticks".

BTW, first lady of Japan is the wife of PM but Tanaka had been first lady because her mother was in ill health. So, could be a daughter, Also, Empress can not be first lady because Emperor is prohibited to be a political head by Japanese constitution. Empress graduated Seishin, too.

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