On Feb. 27, Democratic Party lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto submitted questions to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party about the activities of Akie Abe, the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in regard to her relationship with Moritomo Gakuen, a controversial corporate body that wants to build an elementary school in Osaka.
Akie was to be the honorary principal of the Mizuho no Kuni elementary school until the school was caught in a scandal involving on the one hand Moritomo's right-wing purview, and on the other suspicions that it had received special favors from the central government when purchasing land. Akie has since stepped down from her position at the school, but her husband said her involvement was as a "private individual" and thus it had no connection to the government.
Tsujimoto's questions were an attempt to clarify Akie's status: How big is her paid staff? Does she have use of an official vehicle? Who from the government accompanied her when she gave a speech at a Moritomo-run kindergarten? If these activities were those of a private individual, then why were public funds spent on them?