Akie Abe, wife of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, met senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Dattatreya Hosabale at the organisation’s office in the national capital on Thursday.Akie Abe was accompanied by Tomohiko Taniguchi, chairman of Nippon Kaigi, a prominent Japanese non-governmental organisation. The meeting lasted over an hour.According to an RSS statement, the meeting featured a cordial and substantive exchange of views on strengthening Bharat-Japan relations, with a particular focus on civilisational ties, cultural cooperation and people-centric initiatives.The statement added that Akie Abe and Hosabale would explore avenues for collaboration in these areas.The RSS leadership, Akie Abe-led Foundation for Social Contribution and the Nippon Kaigi delegation also agreed to work towards strengthening cultural ties between India and Japan.