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Julian Ryall

On the surface, Michelle Obama and Akie Abe have little in common and may not have a great deal over which to make small talk when the US first lady arrives in Japan today.
Obama had a successful career in a respected law firm, is married to a two-term Democratic president and campaigns at home and abroad on issues that are dear to her heart.
Abe used to run an izakaya bar and still walks three paces behind her husband, at least metaphorically, as is expected of Japanese women in an age group that is still deeply conservative.
But if the conversation really does begin to dry up, they might be able to fall back on one thing they likely share: A dislike of many of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's less-than-liberal policies.
Obama is paying a three-day visit to Japan in order to "deepen friendship" between the nations.
It is the US first lady's first trip to Japan and will include sightseeing in Tokyo and Kyoto as well as promoting girls' education under her 'Let Girls Learn' initiative. From Japan, she will fly to Cambodia.

The two women come from different backgrounds and play completely different roles as foils to their husbands, believes Jun Okumura, a visiting scholar at the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs.
"How many female spouses of Japanese politicians lead fully-fledged professional lives?" he asked with a shrug.
"When it comes to a person of importance in US society, such as President Obama, it is more than likely today that his spouse will have a life of significance of their own," he said. "But that is still quite unusual in Japan.
"And that, I think, is less a matter of personal potential than a reflection of the role of women to date in Japanese society."
Japan is in many ways like the US was 50 years ago, Okumura believes, when women were housewives, nurses or teachers in elementary schools. But in 50 years' time, he suggested, a Japanese woman might have a shot at leading the nation, as Hillary Clinton apparently does.
"The US has set the tone on wives' involvement on the political scene, and they're certainly more visible in many countries than they ever were in the past, although Japan still lags behind," said Robert Dujarric, director of the Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies at the Japan campus of Temple University.
"The understanding here is that Mrs Abe is a housewife," he added. "And while that is effectively a pejorative in much of the rest of the world, it isn't seen that way here."
Even though Akie Abe does not have a high-profile position or the platform to regularly deliver her opinions, every once in a while she does drop a minor bombshell that suggests she and her husband sometimes disagree over more than just whose turn it is to do the washing up.
In November, Akie Abe told a conference in Tokyo that career women still face significant hurdles in Japan's male-dominated business culture, including the assumption they will resign after marriage to take care of the marital home.
She also questioned her husband's decision to go ahead with raising the consumption tax last year and suggested instead that doing away with wasteful public spending would be a far more effective tool for righting Japan's wobbly national finances.
Mrs Abe has also expressed her personal opposition to her husband's decision to reinterpret the constitution to enable the Japanese military to play a larger role, and she took part in last year's gay parade through Tokyo - something her husband would be unlikely to ever do.


Aki Abe, Michelle Obama mirror roles of women in their societies

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie. Photo: AP

Michelle Obama with her husband US President Barack. Photo: AP

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Michelle Obama presents stark contrast to Akie Abe, who performs less prominent public role as wife of Japan's conservative leader


Aki Abe, Michelle Obama mirror roles of women in their societies

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Michelle Obama presents stark contrast to Akie Abe, who performs less prominent public role as wife of Japan's conservative leader

Michelle Obama presents stark contrast to Akie Abe, who performs less prominent public role as wife of Japan's conservative leader