While Akie Abe seems intent on maintaining a higher profile than her predecessors, her role in the new administration is as yet undefined. So too is the bureaucratic apparatus necessary to support her activities; Japan has had to wrestle for the first time with creation of an office to support a “professional” first lady. Kuni Miyake, a former MOFA bureaucrat, has already come on board as Mrs. Abe’s Chief of Staff. In a conversation with Embassy Tokyo’s DCM, Miyake seemed intent on pursuing an ambitious outreach to other first ladies, a move designed to boost Akie Abe’s and PM Abe’s domestic popularity. In addition to Miyake, Mrs. Abe has a … Continue reading Embassy Tokyo (Japan)