Tokyo rally demands return of Japanese abductees in N Korea

Organised by the victims' families association, the large-scale rally carried a powerful, heartbreaking plea: bring the abductees home while their ageing parents are still alive to see them.

"We will never give up," said Takuya Yokota, 57, head of the association. His sister, Megumi, was abducted in 1977 at just 13 years old. Yokota directly urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to release all captives to "chart a bright future for both countries."

Megumi’s 90-year-old mother, Sakie, shared her enduring grief with the crowd. "My cheerful and kind daughter disappeared like smoke at her usual street corner," she said. "I know nothing about her now. Please help me."

Voices of Survival and Loss:

Hitomi Soga (67): A former abductee who returned to Japan in October 2002 following the historic Koizumi-Kim Jong Il summit, recalled her despair: "I cried and cried as I looked up at the sky and the moon [in North Korea]."

Miyoshi Soga: Hitomi's mother, who was abducted alongside her in 1978 at age 46, remains missing. Hitomi sent a message of hope: "I want my mother never to give up on returning to Sado."

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi vowed that her government remains fully committed to breaking the decades-long deadlock.

"It is my duty to have all abduction victims return home as soon as possible," Takaichi stated. "I am working hard every day with the determination that the Takaichi administration will resolve this issue."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]