TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In honor of the late former Japan Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, Taiwan-born Japanese critic, former Taiwan National Policy Advisor, and Abe’s personal friend Birei Kin (金美齡), shared her memories with Business Today on Wednesday (July 13).

In describing her friendship with Abe, Kin wrote that she often told her friends, “Rather than saying the Prime Minister of Japan is my friend, the fact is my friend became the Prime Minister of Japan!” Despite being 20 years older than Abe and not becoming a Japanese citizen until 2009, Kin wrote that Abe had always been a dedicated friend to her and remained reachable by a simple call even after he became the Prime Minister.

Kin recalled that in the past, she often hosted parties at her home in Tokyo and would invite political and cultural figures in Japan to attend. “Of all the people, Abe Shinzo, whom I knew for several decades, was always the guest of honor… It didn’t matter if he was the Prime Minister of Japan, nor if the Liberal Democratic Party was in power or not. Abe Shinzo was always the guest of honor.”

She recounted that on November 15, 2016, the evening before Abe flew to the U.S. to meet the then-President-elect Donald Trump, she had held such a party. “As the Japan Prime Minister’s agenda must be published afterwards, the fact that he had dinner at my house on the eve of his trip to the U.S. had caused a stir in Japan.”

Kin added, “When I think of the moments Abe Shinzo spent at my home… Alas! Abe has passed away, and I probably will never, nor have any courage to, hold such a party again.”

Another memory Kin mentioned highlighted Abe’s attention to and concern for Taiwan. She wrote that in January 2020, Abe called her the day after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had been elected for a second term to give his congratulations. What surprised her, she wrote, was the fact that “at the time, Abe Shinzo was actually not in Japan; he was in Saudi Arabia on a diplomatic trip."

Abe poses with Taiwanese pineapples, which Kin brought to him. (Twitter, Abe Shinzo photo)

According to Kin, Abe also had an emotional connection to Taiwan, which was embodied in his love for Taiwanese food.

She wrote that Abe was one of the biggest lovers of the Taiwanese mullet roe she would gift friends every winter. “Once, the Prime Minister’s residence ran out of Yunlin mullet roe; Abe’s secretary rushed to shop at a mall in Japan, only for Abe to complain, ‘It tastes completely different!’ after taking a bite.”

She added she had been the person to bring Abe the pineapples from Taiwan in 2021, which were featured in a photo he shared on social media. When Taiwan was in need of COVID-19 vaccines, Kin also visited Abe with a Taiwanese lychee to share with his family.