Sakie Yokota addresses a press conference in Kawasaki City on January 27. Her daughter, Megumi, was just 13 and on her way home from school in Niigata City when she was abducted by North Korean agents. (©Sankei by Katsuyuki Seki)
Sakie Yokota, the mother of Megumi Yokota, celebrates her 90th birthday on February 4. Her daughter is one of the Japanese abductions victims kidnapped by North Korean government agents decades ago.
On January 27, the day the Lower House election was announced, Sakie Yokota once again spoke publicly about the abductions issue.
She expressed her heartfelt feelings as a mother regarding the abduction of her beloved daughter.
Regarding the election, she declared with obvious frustration: "No one has spoken out about the seriousness of the abductions issue. I haven't heard a word about it." She added, "I want our politicians to take risks and do whatever is necessary to bring [Megumi] back home."
Discuss, Debate, and Hope
Mrs Yokota is losing hope. As she says: "I feel saddened as I observe today's Japan. This is a country that has been unable to resolve the abductions issue for such a long time. How can it simply go on without knowing what has happened to its children?"
Haven't all of the various political parties heard this mother's lament? Are they not ashamed of their silence?
There is one actor, however, that welcomes the silence of all the candidates while it waits for the abductions to be forgotten. That is North Korea.
Sakie is the sole surviving member of the generation of parents of the abductions victims. However, she, too, has grown old. There is no time left to worry about proper appearances if she is to welcome her daughter and other victims back to Japan.
Donald Trump's Help
North Korea has obviously decided to turn a blind eye to the issue. That means the involvement of the United States, with its great military and economic power, is essential.
Recall the events around then- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to North Korea in September 2002. That summit meeting led to the return of five abductions victims. However, it was made possible by the intense pressure exerted by the George W Bush administration.
Current US President Donald Trump recently launched a military attack on Venezuela and arrested President Nicolas Maduro. This was terrifying news for North Korea. In the past, there were rumors that North Korea itself was to become the target of a decapitation operation.
During his first term in office, Trump held summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In those meetings, he directly pressed for progress on the abductions issue. That he cares showed in the tears he shed during a meeting with members of the families of abduction victims. Sakie Yokota was one of the family members in that meeting.
An Opportunity for Resolution
Which political party is best suited to gain the cooperation of the Trump administration in securing the return of the abductions victims? And who is best suited to serve as prime minister of Japan? That should be a crucial factor when voters cast their ballots at the polls.
Trump is scheduled to visit China in April. Then, too, a breakthrough is hoped for that will pave the way for a Japan-North Korea summit aimed at finally resolving the abductions issue.
A close Japan-US relationship is a prerequisite for this to materialize.
Sakie Yokota showed her steely resolve on January 27 when she said: "If a summit becomes possible, I would like to go to North Korea. And if Kim Jong Un appears, I want to look him in the eye and tell him exactly how I feel."
This nation's politicians should make whatever sacrifices are necessary to bring peace to this mother's heart.
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(Read the editorial in Japanese.)
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
