Sakie Yokota Seeks Daughter’s Return 6 Yrs after Husband’s Death

Kawasaki, Kanagawa Pref., June 4 (Jiji Press)–Sakie Yokota, mother of a Japanese abductee to North Korea, has called for the early return of her daughter in an interview ahead of the sixth anniversary of her husband’s death on Friday. “I talk to a picture of my husband smiling every day, telling him that the abduction issue has not been resolved and that I’m sorry,” Sakie, 90, told reporters in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, on Tuesday. Following the abduction of the daughter, Megumi, in 1977 at age 13, her father, Shigeru, founded a group of families of abductees in 1997 and served as its first leader, seeking public support for the return of abductees. In an interview with reporters, Sakie described her husband as “a father who worked hard and loved children.” Reflecting on their long struggle, she said, “Why are we going through this?” “I’ve appealed across Japan, but nothing has progressed,” she said. “What is the government doing?” She also said she fell and dislocated her shoulder a few days ago. “I sometimes even doubt if my daughter is really alive,” she said. “At my age, I have started to think I may never see her again.” Although she said she sometimes felt discouraged, she added that she remains deeply frustrated. “Continuing to fight until the issue is resolved is my mission as a parent,” she added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]