Akie Abe

National Apr 16, 2020

Akie Abe criticized for taking group tour in Oita during pandemic

by Satoshi Sugiyama

Her reported activity took place a day after her husband sounded the alarm over the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.

Reference | FYI Apr 2, 2020

With suicide note and lawsuit, Moritomo scandal back to haunt Abe

by Eric Johnston

With the publication of a suicide note by a former Finance Ministry official and subsequent lawsuit by his widow, the Moritomo Gakuen scandal has returned to haunt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But with Abe saying the issue has been settled and Japan finding itself ...

National / Politics Mar 27, 2020

Abe denies wife attended cherry blossom party in defiance of coronavirus calls to abstain

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that his wife, Akie, did not attend a cherry blossom viewing party in Tokyo despite calls to refrain from outdoor gathering to help contain the coronavirus outbreak. Abe made the remarks during Friday's session of the Upper House Budget ...

National Mar 18, 2020

Suicide note reignites Moritomo scandal that rocked Abe administration

by Reiji Yoshida

The wife of a former Finance Ministry official who killed himself filed a lawsuit against the ministry and the former chief of its financial bureau, seeking damages of ¥110 million.

National / Crime & Legal Feb 19, 2020

Moritomo Gakuen couple in Abe cronyism scandal found guilty of fraud

The former head of a nationalist school operator and his wife were found guilty of receiving ¥56.4 million in government subsidies illegally for the construction of an elementary school.

National / Politics May 8, 2019

Support act: Behind every Japanese prime minister is a fascinating first lady

by Andrew McKirdy

When Chizuko Obuchi's husband, Keizo, became prime minister of Japan in July 1998 and the couple moved into the official residence, she was taken aback by what she found. "People from overseas might be surprised to hear it, but there was absolutely no one and ...

National Mar 24, 2019

WAW/W20 talks close with a call for men to be more involved in women's issues

by Sakura Murakami

Key to empowering women is changing people’s mindsets and involving men in dealing more with women’s issues, participants at the joint World Assembly for Women and Women 20 summit hear.

National / Politics Jul 20, 2018

As Diet wraps up, Abe re-emerges as front-runner for LDP election

by Tomohiro Osaki

As recently as spring, the Abe administration was in disarray, weakened by what appeared to be an unstoppable flow of scandals and missteps.

National May 25, 2018

Moritomo chief Yasunori Kagoike freed on bail, dares Abe to ‘tell the truth’ about Osaka land deal

Former Moritomo Gakuen President Yasunori Kagoike and his wife have spent about 10 months behind bars since they were arrested on suspicion of subsidy fraud.

National / Politics Mar 28, 2018

A day after Sagawa's testimony, where do things stand on Japan's Moritomo scandal?

by Reiji Yoshida

Following the high-profile Diet testimony by a key former Finance Ministry official, ruling lawmakers are trying to bring an end to the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, which allegedly involved Akie Abe, the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But Nobuhisa Sagawa's testimony revealed little, answering few ...

National / Politics | ANALYSIS Mar 28, 2018

Abe's best chance for survival as LDP chief lies in his diplomatic skills

by Tomohiro Osaki

The passage of a record-high 2018 spending budget brings to closure a first half year in the Diet that saw the prime minister’s approval rating nosedive.