CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Japan's prime minister says his administration is trying to improve the status of women in his country as it also seeks to protect women's rights on the international stage.
Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh ah-bay) gave brief remarks and took student questions Monday morning at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
His comments came as some 100 protesters stood silently outside holding signs and banners calling for Abe to apologize for World War II-era crimes, including sexual slavery in Korea.
Abe next heads to MIT. He then flies to Washington D.C. to meet with President Barack Obama.
Abe started Monday by visiting the Boston Marathon finish line with his wife and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to pay respects to the victims of the 2013 bombings.
Abe will also visit Los Angeles and San Francisco.