[Japanese Side] 59th Birthday of Japanese Abduction Victim... Reunion Everyone Hopes For

Yokota Megumi Abducted at Age 13
Classmates Gather to Hold Reunion Commemorative Concert

The person highlighted by the Japanese media this week is Megumi Yokota, a 1964-born victim of abduction. Although her life status is unknown, if she is still alive in North Korea, this week she would be celebrating her 59th birthday.

On the 5th, her birthday, middle school classmates gathered and sang the song "Please Give Me Wings" to wish for a reunion with Megumi. Megumi’s elementary school music teacher also personally accompanied the song, saying, "Megumi left an impression because of her beautiful voice."

The appearance of Megumi Yokota before her abduction. (Photo by NHK)

On the 7th, they plan to hold a concert wishing for reunion with two songs: "Please Give Me Wings" and "Hometown," which Megumi’s father, Shigeru, sang at a rally the day before the 2002 North Korea-Japan summit. Shigeru passed away three years ago without ever seeing his daughter return. As this news has been reported in the Japanese media, attention is once again focused on Megumi’s story.

Megumi disappeared on November 15, 1977, while returning home after school. She was 13 years old and in the first year of middle school at the time. Later, it was revealed that her disappearance was not a simple missing case but an abduction by North Korean agents, which caused a major controversy.

Regarding this, North Korea announced that Megumi committed suicide in 1994 due to depression, and in November 2004, they handed over her remains to the Japanese government. However, upon examination in Japan, the remains were confirmed to belong to someone else. Since then, the Japanese government and Megumi’s family have consistently demanded her repatriation, believing there is a possibility she is still alive.

Friends from school are gathered to celebrate Megumi's birthday, singing a song wishing for a reunion. (Photo by TBS)

The family still hopes to meet her again. Her 87-year-old mother, Sakie, told NHK, "Since 46 years have passed since Megumi was abducted, I cannot even imagine what my daughter, now 59, looks like." She added, "My husband and I have been working on rescue efforts, but the ongoing uncertainty is very painful."

Classmates and family members hope that a North Korea-Japan summit will be held soon to resolve this issue. According to Japanese government officials, several attempts were made for behind-the-scenes talks with North Korea this spring, but they failed. Masaki Ikeda, a classmate of Megumi, stated, "The Japanese government should not worry about the U.S. as if it were their own business but should help the Japanese people first," and added, "I hope a North Korea-Japan summit will be held promptly to start negotiations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.