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, stylish¹ 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 predecessor², Junichiro Koizumi, was divorced.

Now there is speculation³ that Akie, a former DJ and fan of South Korean television dramas who is known to take an occasional drink, may help soften⁴ her husband's conservative image overseas.

Dressed in a chic⁵ grey suit over a black shirt, her hair cut fashionably short, Akie twined hands with her 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 smitten⁶, 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)

日本新任首相安倍晋三于上周日开始对中国和韩国进行正式访问，他的夫人可不只是他的陪同--两人手拉着手走上专机的悬梯。

44岁的首相夫人安倍昭惠年轻时髦，目前正在学韩语，她不仅是5年多来日本的首位第一夫人，还可能会成为一位新型的“首相夫人”。

安倍昭惠受到日本国内很多媒体的关注，而以往日本大多数首相夫人都很低调，甚至没什么人知道她们的名字。安倍首相的前任小泉纯一郎就是个离了婚的单身汉。

安倍昭惠曾做过电台DJ，有点酒量，还是个韩剧迷。一些人猜测，这样一位第一夫人可能有助于改变安倍首相在国际上的保守形象。

安倍昭惠留着时髦的短发，身穿黑色衬衫，外配一件雅致的灰色外套，她和丈夫手牵手登上了飞往北京的专机。今年52岁的安倍晋三是二战以来日本最年轻的首相。

以往日本的首相夫人陪同丈夫出访时，都是小心翼翼的走在他们身后。

昭惠的一位熟人曾提出将她介绍给安倍晋三，但昭惠的反应很冷淡，并在约会时迟到了。安倍很快迷恋上了昭惠，向她送花求爱，两人最终在1987年成婚。

安倍晋三在当选为首相不久前说：“我常和她商讨很多事情。她是最了解我的人。”

昭惠在安倍晋三的选区很受欢迎，她的好酒量为安倍赢得了不少支持者。与夫人相反，安倍则是滴酒不沾，喜爱吃糖。

安倍首相的穿着打扮总是轻爽精神，这和昭惠夫人的时尚感是分不开的。安倍曾在2002年获得“最佳穿着奖”，他由衷的说，这个奖应该颁给他的夫人。

和很多日本女性一样，安倍昭惠很喜欢看韩剧，甚至开始学习韩语。

这在周一她访问韩国时可能会派上用场。

Vocabulary:

chic: sophisticated in dressing and manner;elegant;stylish（雅致的；时髦的）

twin one's hands with:与…手牵手