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JAPAN Forward has launched "Ignite," a series to share the voices of students in Japan who write in English. What do they see beyond our obvious differences, disabilities, and insecurities? Individually and collectively, today's students have the power to shape our global future. This sixth essay of the series, by Masakazu Takata, a junior high school student from Maizuru, is on the issue of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens.
Annually, the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue holds a North Korean Human Rights Violations Awareness Week Essay Contest for junior and senior high school students across the country. (The Government of Japan established the Headquarters, an organization led by the Prime Minister and composed of all the Ministers of State to resolve the abductions issue.) It aims to raise awareness of the abductions issue through viewing films and stage plays, reading books related to the issue, and other opportunities to help the students understand the feelings of abduction victims and their families.
These students often go further, taking the opportunity of the essay contest to think deeply about what they can and should do to resolve the abduction issue. Some, like Masakazu Takata, also take on the challenge to directly communicate their thoughts and ideas to others in English. Let's listen.
Sixth in the Series, 'Ignite'
Masakazu Takata, Winner of the 2024 North Korean Human Rights Violations Awareness Week English Essay Grand Prize for Junior High School Students
We cannot just "know" about the abduction issue. If Megumi and her family had not been abducted, they would still be living an ordinary, happy life. Such a daily life was interrupted by the abduction.
In August [2024], I participated in the "Junior High School Summit on the Abduction Issue." There, I listened to a lecture by Takuya Yokota, the younger brother of Megumi Yokota, a victim of abduction.
The abduction refers to the incident about fifty years ago when North Korea abducted young Japanese citizens to train their agents. Although North Korea admitted the fact, only 5 out of 17 abductees have returned. Even after half a century, the abduction issue remains unresolved.
What we can do to solve the abduction issue is to first watch the anime "Megumi." At the summit, Mr Yokota emphasized the importance of thinking about it as a personal matter. It is crucial to watch it with the mindset of "What if my beloved family or friends were suddenly taken away?"
A New Perspective
After the summit, I watched "Megumi" again. It looked completely different. The first time I watched it was when I was in 7th grade. At that time, I watched it as a bystander. Now, I can feel the pain and suffering of the family. I understood the meaning of "as a personal matter" that Mr Yokota mentioned, and I became able to assert it in my own words.
According to a public opinion survey, the percentage of people interested in the abduction issue is 73.6%. As the awareness of the issue fades over time, it is necessary to spread the abduction issue. The internet and social media are used by a wide range of age groups, from young people to the elderly. By utilizing information and communication technology, it is possible to disseminate information widely.
The families of the abductees are aging, and Megumi's father, Shigeru, passed away in 2020 without meeting his beloved daughter. Therefore, the abduction issue is a race against time.
A Battle Longer than Wars
Conflicts continue around the world today, such as the invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in Palestine. It is common to see reports of conflicts when you turn on the TV. However, we must not forget about the abduction issue. It has been a silent battle for much longer than wars.
From Mr Yokota's lecture, the desire of the abductees to "return to Japan as soon as possible" touched strongly in my heart. The abduction issue is not the past, and Megumi and others are still waiting for help with the single-minded desire to "meet their families."
Therefore, I believe that raising our voices in cooperation with the world for the early return of the abductees will be the driving force for their rescue. As a participant in the summit, I felt a mission to disseminate the abduction issue. It is necessary to widely disseminate the current situation of the abduction issue and what we can do. I want to actively participate in future activities for the early return of the abductees.
About the Author:
At the time he submitted this essay, Masakazu Takata was a student at Maizuru City Kasa Junior High School, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. He delivered this comment upon receiving the Grand Prize for an English essay by a junior high school student:
Comment from the winner: After listening to Takuya Yokota's lecture this summer [2024], I realized that I had to think of the abduction issue as something that concerned me personally. As a citizen, I want to take action in whatever way I can.
RELATED:
- INTERVIEW | Abduction Issue 'Won't Be Resolved Until Everyone Returns'
- Megumi Yokota, Abducted by North Korea: A Brother's Commitment
Author: TAKATA Masakazu
Student, Maizuru City Kasa Junior High School
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