Japan Press Weekly

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2018 March 21 - 27 [POLITICS]

PM Abe admits his wife has fair understanding of amount of influence she wields

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on March 26 admitted that his wife, Akie, has a fair understanding of the amount of influence she has as First Lady.

PM Abe made this remark in his reply at a House of Councilors Budget Committee meeting on the day to a question made by Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Tatsumi Kotaro about the scandal regarding the national land sale to the Moritomo Gakuen school corporation. The first lady is suspected of being directly involved in the land deal.

Tatsumi quoted Akie as saying, “Use me for a good purpose is what I always tell those I meet.” She made this remark in an interview with the media. Tatsumi said to PM Abe that Akie is fully aware of her power and influence as the first lady.

In reply, PM Abe said, “She has such an understanding, I think.”

Tatsumi referred to the fact that Akie was to serve as honorary principal of an elementary school which Moritomo Gakuen planned to build on the state-owned land in question. The JCP lawmaker also pointed out that Akie took a photo with former Moritomo Gakuen head Kagoike Yasunori and his wife in front of the site of the planned elementary school.

Adding that the first lady was involved with Moritomo Gakuen in a proactive manner, Tastumi demanded that she testify in the Diet under oath.

Past related article:
> Abe’s wife should explain her involvement in ‘Moritomo’ scandal before Diet [ March 20, 2018]