Latest news with #Shigeru
2 days ago
Yokota Urges Govt to Have Sense of Mission over Abduction Issue
Kawasaki, Kanagawa Pref./Niigata, June 5 (Jiji Press)--Sakie Yokota, the mother of an abductee to North Korea, called on the Japanese government to tackle the abduction issue with a sense of mission, as Thursday marked five years since the death of her husband Shigeru. Speaking to reporters Tuesday in the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, Sakie, 89, said she feels "great lineless" after the death of her husband, whom she described as a "serious person." Following the abduction of their daughter Megumi in the central Japan city of Niigata in 1977 when she was 13, Shigeru launched a group of abductees' families in 1997, serving as its first leader and working hard with Sakie to give lectures and collect signatures to call for an early resolution. But Shigeru died in 2020 at the age of 87, without being able to see his daughter again. Sakie said she could discuss anything with Shigeru. She said she speaks to the portrait of Shigeru in the living room of her home, telling it that the situation of the abductees remains unknown. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
The Star
3 days ago
- General
- The Star
Japanese mother of abductee frustrated by lack of resolution to issue; no abductees have returned to Japan from North Korea since 2002
Sakie Yokota speaks during a press conference next to a photo of her deceased husband Shigeru in Kawasaki on Tuesday (June 3, 2025). - Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun KAWASAKI, (Japan): The mother of a Japanese woman abducted by North Korea said she is saddened by the absence of her husband and frustrated at 'not being able to resolve the situation.' Sakie Yokota, 89, spoke at a press conference in Kawasaki, where she lives, on Tuesday (June 3), two days before the fifth anniversary of her husband Shigeru's death. Their daughter Megumi was kidnapped when she was 13. Shigeru became the first representative of the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, which was formed in 1997. Shigeru traveled across the country, making appeals to resolve the issue. However, he was never able to reunite with his daughter. On Tuesday, Yokota recalled how her husband always ate the food she prepared and told her how delicious it was. '[Shigeru] talked to me about everything,' she said. 'He was a very kind person.' Regarding the abductees, five returned to Japan in October 2002, but since then, not a single person has been returned. Yokota said she talks to Shigeru's photo, which she keeps in the living room, every day. She tells him, 'It has been so long and there has been no change.' Akihiro Arimoto, the father of another abductee Keiko Arimoto, who was abducted when she was 23, died in February at 96, leaving Yokota as the only member of abductees' parents' generation still alive. 'I don't know if I will ever be able to see [Megumi] again either,' Yokota said. 'I hope the government will work on the issue more seriously.' - Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Mother of Abductee Frustrated by Lack of Resolution to Issue; No Abductees Have Returned to Japan from North Korea Since 2002
The Yomiuri Shimbun Sakie Yokota speaks during a press conference next to a photo of her deceased husband Shigeru in Kawasaki on Tuesday. KAWASAKI — The mother of a Japanese woman abducted by North Korea said she is saddened by the absence of her husband and frustrated at 'not being able to resolve the situation.' Sakie Yokota, 89, spoke at a press conference in Kawasaki, where she lives, on Tuesday, two days before the fifth anniversary of her husband Shigeru's death. Their daughter Megumi was kidnapped when she was 13. Shigeru became the first representative of the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, which was formed in 1997. Shigeru traveled across the country, making appeals to resolve the issue. However, he was never able to reunite with his daughter. On Tuesday, Yokota recalled how her husband always ate the food she prepared and told her how delicious it was. '[Shigeru] talked to me about everything,' she said. 'He was a very kind person.' Regarding the abductees, five returned to Japan in October 2002, but since then, not a single person has been returned. Yokota said she talks to Shigeru's photo, which she keeps in the living room, every day. She tells him, 'It has been so long and there has been no change.' Akihiro Arimoto, the father of another abductee Keiko Arimoto, who was abducted when she was 23, died in February at 96, leaving Yokota as the only member of abductees' parents' generation still alive. 'I don't know if I will ever be able to see [Megumi] again either,' Yokota said. 'I hope the government will work on the issue more seriously.'
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
President Trump hosts Japan's prime minister at the White House
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – President Donald Trump hosted Japan's prime minister at the White House Friday. The two leaders say the U.S.- Japanese relationship is critical for the economy and global security. 'It's a great honor to have you,' said Trump. President Trump had a close relationship with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated in 2022. The current prime minister says the goal of his visit is to form a similar bond and build on the friendship between the two countries. 'I look forward to working together with President Trump, who I respect immensely, to usher in a new golden age of Japan-U.S. relations,' Shigeru. President Trump announced the two already struck a deal saying Japanese company Nippon Steel will drop its acquisition of Pittsburgh based U.S. Steel and make an investment instead. This comes after a fight in which the U.S. government worked to block the planned sale. 'I didn't want it purchased, but investment I love,' said Trump. Both leaders expressed a desire to maintain strong economic ties. 'The United States and Japan trade over $300 billion in goods and services each year,' said Trump. President Trump says Japan isn't safe from the sweeping tariffs he's used against other countries arguing the U.S.-Japanese trade relationship should be more balanced. 'We have a trade deficit with Japan of over $100 billion, but we're going to work that out I think very quickly,' said Trump. The Japanese prime minister declined to say whether his county would impose retaliatory tariffs. 'I am unable to respond to a theoretical question…that's the official answer that we have,' said Shigeru. The president also highlighted the military relationship saying Japan has committed to double defense spending as it works with the U.S. to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
