Families of N. Korea abductees ask new U.S. envoy for support
KYODO NEWS - 6 hours ago - 19:54 | All, Japan
The families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago met with new U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass in Tokyo on Thursday to seek help in resolving the issue, according to a younger brother of one of the most well-known abduction victims.
"We asked for his assistance toward the resolution of a problem that is running out of time," Takuya Yokota, the 56-year-old brother of Megumi Yokota, told reporters after the closed-door meeting, adding he felt Glass took their suffering "seriously."
Megumi was abducted at age 13 by North Korean agents in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast in 1977, while returning home from badminton practice at her junior high school. Pyongyang claims she died by suicide in 1994.
"I believe the meeting had a lot of meaning if the importance of this issue is conveyed" to U.S. President Donald Trump, Takuya said.
Tetsuya Yokota, Takuya's twin brother, said he told Glass that "just providing a space to talk likely applied pressure on North Korea," while their 89-year-old mother, Sakie, said the ambassador gave her a hug.
The gathering was also attended by Glass's wife, Mary, who Takuya said expressed sympathy with their plight.
Since the return of five abductees to Japan in 2002, Tokyo has sought the release of 12 others it has officially recognized as having been taken by North Korea. It also suspects Pyongyang's involvement in the disappearances of other Japanese citizens.
Related coverage:
Families of Japanese abducted by North Korea call for Trump's support
Families of Japanese abducted by N. Korea to seek U.S. aid for return
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
2 Chinese Aircraft Carriers Operate Simultaneously in Pacific
News from Japan Society Jun 10, 2025 01:19 (JST) Tokyo, June 9 (Jiji Press)--The Chinese navy's two active aircraft carriers, the Shandong and Liaoning, have operated simultaneously in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Monday. The Shandong on Monday conducted aircraft takeoff and landing operations in Japan's exclusive economic zone near the so-called second island chain in the Pacific, which connects Japan's Ogasawara Islands and the U.S. territory of Guam, the ministry said. The Liaoning operated off Minamitorishima, an island in the Ogasawara chain, on Saturday and Sunday, becoming the first Chinese aircraft carrier to cross the second island chain, the ministry said. The activities of the aircraft carriers are an apparent warning to the United States as China is believed to position the second island chain as one of its defense lines to block the approach of the U.S. military in the event of a conflict. Asked at a press conference on Monday about the activity of the Liaoning, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that Tokyo has said what it needs to say to Beijing. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan to Conduct Probe into Career Guidance for Foreign Students; High Schools Nationwide to be Surveyed on Support Systems
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry building in Tokyo The government will this fiscal year launch a survey on career support for foreign students in high schools. The number of high school students in need of Japanese language instruction has doubled in the past 10 years. At the same time, the percentage of those who chose to work part time or be unemployed after graduation is high, posing a challenge for career support while in high school. According to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, 5,573 high school students needed Japanese language instruction in fiscal 2023, approximately 2.3 times the number of 2,410 in fiscal 2012, and the number is expected to increase further in the future. At the same time, 38.6% (3.1% of all students) of those who found jobs after graduation were in non-regular employment, and 11.8% (6.5% of all students) were unemployed, having neither pursued higher education nor found employment. The survey results indicate that many foreign students are having difficulty in developing their careers. Some high schools offer visits from alumni students, take part in internship schemes and offer support from specialist staff. However, the government has been unable to ascertain how widespread these efforts have been. Therefore, the survey will seek to determine the systems in place across at high schools across the country for foreign students to support progression into employment and higher education. Systems that have advanced will be introduced on a trial basis at model schools and a report will be produced and shared among educational institutions nationwide with the aim of strengthening support systems.
Kyodo News
4 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Over 70 nations to call for int'l plastic pollution reduction targets
KYODO NEWS - 1 minutes ago - 22:42 | All, World Over 70 countries are set to call for targets to reduce plastic production and consumption worldwide to combat marine pollution in a joint statement to be issued at the U.N. Ocean Conference this week, a source related to the matter said Monday. Japan is not expected to back the statement, which will be issued by various European and Pacific island nations at the conference running Monday through Friday in the southeastern French city of Nice. Middle Eastern countries and others that produce petroleum, a raw resource used to manufacture plastics, have also opposed manufacturing restrictions and are expected to forego backing the statement. An estimated over 8 million tons of plastic waste is washed into the world's oceans every year. Concerns have also grown over microplastics that end up in the ocean and enter the bodies of marine organisms, which in turn could impact human health if they are consumed. Negotiations on the creation of an international treaty will also resume in Switzerland in August, but the lack of countries onboard with the statement has highlighted the difficulty of reaching a consensus on manufacturing regulations, the biggest focus of the negotiations. At the previous round of talks held in South Korea from November to December, participating nations could not reach an agreement on manufacturing restrictions. The joint statement will additionally call for mandatory reporting of manufacturing, and import and export volumes in order to achieve the reduction targets. France, which leads support for the regulations, is touting the joint statement as a "historic opportunity." Japan has opted not to be named in the joint statement, stating that it wants an agreement that includes as many countries as possible and avoids fragmentation. But environmental groups have criticized Japan, saying that it should clarify its stance in order to make the treaty effective. Related coverage: Japan's last 2 captive sea otters symbolizing species' fragile future Starbucks Japan to switch to green plant-based straws in January
