Akie Abe rewrites rule book as Japan’s First Lady

A file picture of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe arriving at the Palm Beach International airport in Florida, the US. Photo: AFP

Akie Abe is known to hold hands with her husband in public, post photos of their daily lives on social media and even speak out publicly against some of his policies.

In other words, she is not the typical faceless wife of a Japanese Prime Minister but has been such a vocal critic of Shinzo Abe that she is dubbed kateinai yato, or "at-home opposition".