Japan's First Lady Akie Abe, taking on a rare public role overseas, told a US audience on Wednesday about her deep unhappiness after her husband's first stint in power. Akie Abe - who has softened the Japanese leader's hawkish image through outspoken statements that have at times openly contradicted him - scheduled a series of speaking engagements during Prime Minister Abe's visit to the United Nations, in what was billed as a first for a Japanese first lady on a foreign trip.
At a breakfast with businesspeople on Wednesday, she described how she went to the hospital in 2007 when Abe resigned as prime minister. Abe, whose party had lost an upper house election, later explained that he quit because of a longstanding bowel illness; the conservative leader returned to power in late 2012. Abe said she was crying and did not want to face waiting media, but noticed well-wishers across the street who were smiling.
"It's true that your smile makes other people happy, but at other times, when you're really hurt, sometimes you don't want to see people smiling," she said. Abe, a prolific user of social media, also explained how she faced down calls from politicians to delete hostile messages on her Facebook account.