Akie Abe Interviewed at Shinjuku’s Okubo Park: Will You Attend the Inauguration?

Descending into Kabukicho in broad daylight.

“You’re not similar at all!”
“Hey! I do resemble him!”
“If your name wasn’t written on the sash, I wouldn’t recognize you. Your eyes are small. Are you sleeping?”
“Hey! I’m awake!”
“Suga-san looks similar though.”
“Hey! It’s also not!”

This playful exchange took place between Kazumin (51), a comedian doing an impression of former Liberal Democratic Party election committee chairman Shinjiro Koizumi (43), and Akie Abe (62), wife of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

On January 13, during the Coming of Age Day celebrations, the “New Year Kabukicho Mochi Pounding Festival” was held at Okubo Park in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The event was hosted by the Social Contribution Support Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation chaired by Akie Abe. As soon as she arrived at the park in jeans and a yellow down jacket, a photo session with participants began. Many attendees lined up to ask for signatures on books and photo collections of the late Prime Minister Abe, showing that her popularity remains strong.

Kazumin (right) continues to praise Akie Abe, saying, “Even though she’s not a famous comedian, she treats everyone equally and is truly kind.”

“We’ve known each other for only 2 or 3 years, but even when I jokingly scold her, she laughs it off. She’s so easy to talk to, you’d forget she was the First Lady. Just being there, people gather around her—it’s something to be envious of.”

During her opening remarks, Akie Abe addressed the challenges Kabukicho faces, particularly mentioning the nearby “To-Yoko.”

“Kabukicho has many issues. I’ve often come here to interact with everyone and listen to various stories. Today, I hope to have a nice conversation with everyone while enjoying some mochi.”

Reunion with Trump.

Amidst a photo session surrounded by people of all ages, Akie Abe performed the mochi pounding twice. Even when bringing the mallet down, her lower body remained perfectly steady, showcasing great skill. She explained the secret behind it:

“I used to pound mochi every year with the neighbors when I was young at my home in Nagato City, Yamaguchi. I was usually the one shaping the mochi, though (laughs).”

A crowd always gathered around Akie Abe. One young person even brought a dog dressed in a Trump T-shirt.

When asked by the press about the dinner with the Trump couple on December 15, she responded, “I can’t talk about it.” Regarding her invitation to the presidential inauguration on January 20, she said:

“I’m still thinking about it. I haven’t received the official invitation yet.”

At the mochi-pounding festival, girls known as the “Tōyoko Kids” made an appearance and got excited talking with Akie about landmine makeup. They also engaged in simple English conversations with inbound tourists.

Akie spoke of her wish for the diverse group of people gathered in a park in Kabukicho and for those without a place to belong:

“I thought of pounding mochi because when I go to Tōyoko, I can’t really have a conversation, so I thought if I could get people to come and eat some mochi, we could chat while enjoying good food. I hope they can feel a little warmth.”

She stood for over two and a half hours in the park, smiling at the people who came.

During this time, Kazumin, mentioned at the beginning, said, “I want approval from Shinjirō,” to which Akie replied, “Even though you don’t look like him? Well, I’ll ask,” and began searching for Kazumin’s contact on her smartphone. After a while, she muttered:

“I wasn’t connected with Shinjirō on LINE.”

Hey! Kazumin’s retort echoed across the blue sky of Shinjuku.