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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front L) and first lady Akie Abe disembark from a plane at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, October 8, 2006.
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As new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe flew out on Sunday for visits to China and South Korea, his wife didn't just accompany him -- the two held hands going up the steps of the government plane.
Young, stylish and a student of the Korean language, Akie Abe, 44, is not only Japan's first "first lady" in more than five years, she may be a new type of prime minister's wife altogether.
She has already attracted an unusual amount of media attention in Japan, where the wives of most prime ministers have kept such low profiles that few people even knew their names. Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, was divorced.
Now there is speculation that Akie, a former DJ and fan of South Korean television dramas who is known to take an occasional drink, may help soften her husband's conservative image overseas.
Dressed in achicgrey suit over a black shirt, her hair cut fashionably short, Akietwined hands withher husband -- at 52, Japan's youngest prime minister since World War Two -- as they boarded the plane for Beijing.
Wives of previous prime ministers, if they travelled with their husbands at all, tended to walk slightly behind.
Akie was rather cool to the idea when an acquaintance offered to introduce her to Abe and showed up late for the meeting, the story goes. Abe, immediately smitten, wooed her with flowers, and they married in 1987.
"I consult with her about many things," Abe said shortly before becoming prime minister. "She's the person who understands me the best."
Akie is now popular in Abe's district, where her fondness for an occasional drink -- in contrast to her husband, who prefers sweets -- has made her a hit with his supporters.
Her sense of style is one factor behind his image as a snappy dresser, prompting him to say she should have been given the "Best Dressed" award he won in 2002.
Like many Japanese women, she is a fan of the South Korean television dramas. She even began learning Korean.
It is a skill she might have put to good use in South Korea on Monday.
(Agencies)
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日本新任首相安倍晉三于上周日開始對中國和韓國進行正式訪問，他的夫人可不只是他的陪同--兩人手拉著手走上專機的懸梯。
44歲的首相夫人安倍昭惠年輕時髦，目前正在學韓語，她不僅是5年多來日本的首位第一夫人，還可能會成為一位新型的“首相夫人”。
安倍昭惠受到日本國內很多媒體的關注，而以往日本大多數首相夫人都很低調，甚至沒什么人知道她們的名字。安倍首相的前任小泉純一郎就是個離了婚的單身漢。
安倍昭惠曾做過電臺DJ，有點酒量，還是個韓劇迷。一些人猜測，這樣一位第一夫人可能有助于改變安倍首相在國際上的保守形象。
安倍昭惠留著時髦的短發，身穿黑色襯衫，外配一件雅致的灰色外套，她和丈夫手牽手登上了飛往北京的專機。今年52歲的安倍晉三是二戰以來日本最年輕的首相。
以往日本的首相夫人陪同丈夫出訪時，都是小心翼翼的走在他們身后。
昭惠的一位熟人曾提出將她介紹給安倍晉三，但昭惠的反應很冷淡，并在約會時遲到了。安倍很快迷戀上了昭惠，向她送花求愛，兩人最終在1987年成婚。
安倍晉三在當選為首相不久前說：“我常和她商討很多事情。她是最了解我的人。”
昭惠在安倍晉三的選區很受歡迎，她的好酒量為安倍贏得了不少支持者。與夫人相反，安倍則是滴酒不沾，喜愛吃糖。
安倍首相的穿著打扮總是輕爽精神，這和昭惠夫人的時尚感是分不開的。安倍曾在2002年獲得“最佳穿著獎”，他由衷的說，這個獎應該頒給他的夫人。
和很多日本女性一樣，安倍昭惠很喜歡看韓劇，甚至開始學習韓語。
這在周一她訪問韓國時可能會派上用場。
(英語點津姍姍編輯)
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