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NHK
08-07-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Japan's Emperor, Empress pay respects to deceased at memorial in Mongolia
Japan's Emperor and Empress, who are on a state visit to Mongolia, have paid their respects to Japanese nationals who died while detained there after World War Two. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended a welcome ceremony and other events in the capital Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday morning. In the afternoon, they traveled to a memorial for Japanese nationals in the suburbs. About 14,000 Imperial Japanese military personnel and Japanese civilians were detained by the former Soviet Union after the end of World War Two, and sent to Mongolia through Siberia. About 1,700 of them died from cold, hunger, hard labor and other causes. The Emperor had visited the memorial in 2007, when he was Crown Prince. The couple laid flowers at the memorial and observed a moment of silence, amid pouring rain. They then exchanged words with the head of the group of bereaved families, and relatives of those who were detained. The couple later returned to their hotel to attend a banquet hosted by Mongolia's president and first lady.
NHK
05-07-2025
- NHK
Japan's Emperor, Empress set to begin visit to Mongolia
Japan's Emperor and Empress are set to begin their 8-day official visit to Mongolia. They will also mourn Japanese people who died after being detained there following World War Two. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are scheduled to depart Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Sunday morning aboard a government plane. They will arrive at the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon. On Tuesday, they will attend a welcome ceremony as state guests and meet with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife in a ger, a traditional tent-like structure set up within government facilities to host special guests. They will attend a banquet at their hotel in the evening. In the afternoon, the couple will pay their respects at a monument for Japanese nationals who died from hard labor and other causes after being detained by the former Soviet Union and sent to Mongolia shortly after World War Two. This year marks 80 years since the end of the war. The Emperor and Empress will also have opportunities to learn the history and culture of Mongolia and to interact with local people during their stay until July 13. Toward the end of the trip, they are expected to attend the opening ceremony of a national sports festival called Naadam, and watch competitions in such events as archery and horse racing. Their itinerary also includes a visit to a national park with a vast expanse of grassland, which is a sanctuary for a rare species of horses. This will be the Imperial couple's fourth official overseas trip since the Emperor's accession to the throne, following their visit to Britain last year. They will also be the first-ever Japanese Emperor and Empress to visit Mongolia.
Japan Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Overseas voting for Upper House election begins
Voting for the July 20 Upper House election started for Japanese nationals abroad on Friday. Voting began at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Friday morning, following Thursday's start of the official campaign period for the election. "I'd like to see stability in the (Japanese) government, given that tariff negotiations are ongoing with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and the global situation is unstable," said Naoya Maeda, a 27-year-old graduate student living in the South Korean capital. Maeda, who is originally from Kagoshima Prefecture, said that he cast his vote "in hopes that the cooperative relationship between Japan and South Korea will be maintained." "We hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to participate in politics," an official at the embassy said. Voting also began at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Friday morning. "I voted because I wanted to change Japan, even a little, at a time when both the country and the world are lacking stability," a 38-year-old male resident of Beijing said. "I cast my vote with safety in mind, because I have my wife and daughter with me here," a 54-year-old male corporate employee said. Overseas voting for Japanese nationals became available at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for the first time, with many voters visiting the association's Taipei office, Japan's de facto embassy in Taiwan, to cast their ballots on Friday morning. Voting is also available at the association's Kaohsiung office, which serves as a de facto consulate-general. Ran Shimano, 44, who has lived in Taiwan for 13 years, said, "I'm delighted that I've managed to cast my vote while living abroad." While Japan and Taiwan do not have an official diplomatic relationship, about 21,700 Japanese nationals currently reside in Taiwan. Until now, Japanese voters in Taiwan had to send their ballots by mail. "We took the requests by Japanese nationals living here seriously," Deputy Representative Yo Takaba said of the decision to open polling stations in Taiwan.
Japan Times
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Families of Japanese abductees race against time
Nearly half a century has passed since the first government-recognized abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s, yet the issue remains unresolved. Sakie Yokota, 89, is now the only surviving parent of a Japanese abductee. Her daughter, Megumi Yokota, became a symbol of the issue after being abducted in 1977 at the age of 13. The Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea continues to press the government for stronger action. The group has collected signatures to rally public support, hoping that Megumi and other abductees can be brought home while her mother is still alive to welcome them. The Japanese government has officially recognized 17 people as victims of abduction by the reclusive Asian regime. Of those, 12 have yet to return, and their whereabouts remain unknown. In recent years, the parents of abductees have died one after another without a chance to be reunited with their children. Following the death of Akihiro Arimoto — father of Keiko Arimoto, who disappeared in Europe in 1983 at the age of 23 — in February at age 96, Sakie Yokota is now the last living parent of a recognized abductee. Reflecting on the long struggle ahead of her 90th birthday next February, Yokota said with a sigh, "I wonder how much longer I will be able to live. It has taken such a long time (to resolve the abduction issue). "I want to face my final moments after seeing (the victims) somehow set foot on Japanese soil and say, 'Thank you, we were able to come home,' with tears of joy," she said, expressing her heartfelt wish. On April 26, five members of the family association, along with supporters, took to the streets of Ginza in central Tokyo to gather signatures for their campaign. Calling out, "Every stroke of your pen is power," they appealed to passersby for support. It was the association's first street campaign in 12 years. The last such effort, in 2013, collected approximately 10,000 signatures. The latest initiative reflects growing concern over the "time limit" imposed by the aging families and fading public memory of the long-standing abduction issue. "The family association has set a time limit of rescuing the victims while any of their parents is still alive," said Takuya Yokota, the 56-year-old younger brother of Megumi and chief representative of the association. "We felt it was necessary to once again appeal to public opinion to help drive swift progress" in bringing the victims home. Since the family association was established in 1997, more than 19,000 signatures have been collected. Koichiro Iizuka, 48, the first son of abductee Yaeko Taguchi, who was snatched away in 1978 at the age of 22, expressed his resolve: "If we give up, it will end there. So we will continue to raise our voices." The family association has long urged the Japanese government to take concrete steps to secure the early return of the abductees. Still, negotiations between Japan and North Korea have remained at a standstill since October 2002, when five victims were repatriated following a historic summit between then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang the preceding month. The two countries still do not have diplomatic relations. The family association is placing its slender hopes on the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit during the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump. In 2017, during his first term, Trump raised the abduction issue in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly. The following year, he held the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit, having talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Trump has met with the families of Japanese abduction victims on multiple occasions. Before his passing, Akihiro Arimoto expressed hope that Trump could help bring renewed attention to their cause. From April 29 to May 4 this year, a delegation including Takuya Yokota visited the United States to seek cooperation from the U.S. government on resolving the issue. During their visit, members of the delegation met with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, other senior officials from the Trump administration and members of the U.S. Congress. The delegation urged the United States to ensure that the abduction issue is raised at any future U.S.-North Korea summit meeting. After returning to Japan, Yokota expressed confidence. "Having the opportunities to meet with key figures in the Trump administration is itself a source of hope and courage for the families of the victims," he said. "I believe it also serves as a clear demonstration of close Japan-U.S. cooperation, which will put strong pressure on North Korea."
NHK
22-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Belarus releases 14 people from detention, including two Japanese nationals
Belarus has released 14 people from detention, including two Japanese nationals, as US special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg visited the country. The Japanese embassy in Belarus said the two were freed on Saturday. It added they are now in neighboring Lithuania and have no health issues. The embassy said the two Japanese nationals were detained in August 2020 and December 2024, respectively. It said any further personal information will not be revealed. One of the two is believed to be a man who was sentenced to a 16-year prison term for his involvement in protests over the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. The other is believed to be a man who was reportedly detained last December on suspicion of spying. He was purportedly filming a bridge over railway tracks in the southeastern Belarusian region of Gomel. The Japanese embassy has expressed profound gratitude to the US government. It plans to strongly urge Belarus to release as early as possible one more Japanese citizen who is still being detained.
