So this is what I heard: This past year, women were supposedly kagaiteiru (輝いている, shining) in Japan — and their sheen is part of a national policy to value and honor the Japanese female. Excuse me for saying so, but "Usssooo! (うっそおお!, That's a lie!)" As my friend Naoko likes to say, "Keizai ga yabai kara onna mo hatarakette koto deshō? (経済がやばいから女も働けってことでしょう?, They want women to work because the economy is in shambles, right?)"

Like most other aspects of "Abenomics," the shining thing may have worked for women who were shining in the first place, but for us in the trenches, it's not so simple. Nothing short of several layers of lame-iri fande (ラメ入りファンデ, glitter foundation) is going to do the trick. Even former AKB48 idol Atsuko Maeda — who, at the peak of her stardom, was deemed higher in ninki (人気, popularity) than Kirisuto (キリスト, Christ) — has had a tougher year, according to the tabloids. AKB48 had ensured her financial security with media roshutsu (メディア露出, media exposure) and togirenai shigoto (途切れない仕事, endless work), but once she had her sotsugyōshiki (卒業式, graduation ceremony) from the idol group, the ex-pop goddess may have found life among mortals a little harsh, despite being one of the shiniest young women around.

I am aware, of course, that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is renowned for being josei no mikata (女性 の味方, an ally of women) and aisaika (愛妻家, a dedicated husband) to boot — which rarely happens among Japanese politicians. His spouse, known to the public as "Akky," is attractive, active and outspoken — perhaps the first of her kind. She's certainly the unofficial symbol of kagayaiteiru josei (輝いている女性, shining women) in the Abe government.