Akie Abe AP PHOTO

In a Dec. 10 interview with the BBC, Abe's first with a foreign media outlet since her husband became prime minister in September, said she wanted to promote Japanese culture overseas while supporting her husband.

Abe has generated considerable interest not only at home but overseas. The British media has described her as a rather colorful addition to Japan's normally gray political scene. Much has been made of the 44-year-old's penchant for dancing and watching South Korean soap operas, as well as her former job as a DJ.

The Japan Times Weekly: Dec. 16, 2006
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