Shigeru Yokota died, wife Sakie's interview “Full body, worked hard” June 9, 17:00

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Shigeru Yokota, the father of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea and who has been at the forefront of rescue operations for victims, died on the 5th of this month, and his wife's family, Sakie, held a press conference in Tokyo on the 9th. I did it. Mr. Sakie said, "It seems that it is a difficult problem to solve and it is a difficult problem, but I think that I worked hard and devote myself so hard that I could not remember it."

Shigeru Yokota was the father of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea on the way home from her school in Niigata City in 1977 when she was in the first grade of junior high school. ..

I have been at the forefront of my activities with my wife, Sakie (84), as a "symbol of the abduction victim's rescue movement", but I became sick and I was admitted to a hospital in Kawasaki city from April, and this month. He died at 87 on the 5th due to aging.

Sakie, his twin son Takuya (51), and his younger brother Tetsuya (51) held a press conference in Tokyo on the afternoon of the 9th. In this, Sakie said, “I had a long fight against illness, but I was always calm and always smiling. It seems that it is a difficult problem to solve and it is a difficult problem, but I can not remember it. , I think I did my best. I was able to see off with a really peaceful and quiet face. I am grateful for the support I have received so far.

As for the last words I had with Shigeru, "Your face close to your ears and you said,'Dad, please sleep comfortably. Don't forget to wait until I go,' I felt like I opened my mouth a little and wept, and then I died asleep."

In addition, Takuya said, “In the beginning, it was 25 years of running in a tough place without any clues or information. My father was so affectionate that I could put my sister in my eyes. It was regrettable to think that I would have been there. I would like to solve any problems in the future."

Tetsuya said, "We feel resentful and regretful that my father passed away without solving the abduction issue. He inherited his will that he could not fulfill and reported that he was back in front of the grave. I think it's a mission."

Shigeru Yokota Days after being hospitalized

Shigeru Yokota, the father of Megumi Yokota who was abducted by North Korea, was sick and was hospitalized at a hospital in Kawasaki City from April.

This time, my 84-year-old wife, Sakie, always visited the hospital every day, even though she felt weak, and had a lot of meetings.

Shigeru, who had difficulty standing on his own feet, struggled to maintain his physical strength by taking a walk in a wheelchair with Sakie on the premises of the hospital and performing rehabilitation.

Sakie-san says that he used to massage Shige-san's limb joints every day to prevent them from getting stiff.

While looking at Sakie's photo in the hospital room, Mr. Shigee said, "I'll do my best because I might be able to see you soon." Shigeru replied "Yes" and encouraged each other.

Recently, I have been unable to meet directly to prevent infection with the new coronavirus, but I was told that I was face-to-face with a videophone using a tablet terminal.

Abduction victim family Future action

The families of victims abducted by North Korea are aging and the solution is a time struggle. In addition to calling for specific efforts toward returning to Japan, we will call on North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Eun to decide to return the victims.

The abduction issue has been 43 years since the first incident, and 12 of the government-approved abduction victims whose parents are unsure of their safety have died without reuniting with their children. Even after the Japan-North Korea summit meeting in 2002, Shigeru Yokota will be eight people.

In February this year, Keiko Arimoto's mother, Kayoko, also died, and the parents who are still alive are Maki Yokota's mother Sakie and Arimoto's father Akihiro (91). There are 2 people.

At the family association, Shigeru's eldest son Takuya and others have been leading the rescue activities for several years, but with Sakie, he has taken the lead as a "symbol of the abduction victim rescue movement". With the death of Mr. Shigeru, the victim's family has become even more enthusiastic about wanting to meet again in their lifetime.

The abduction victims' family association has long sought to resolve the abduction issue by increasing pressure on North Korea, but North Korean President Kim Jung Eun embarked on a dialogue with the United States and South Korea. Last year, I sent a message directly to the Chairman Kim for the first time, urging him to make a decision by saying that if all the victims could return to Japan early, they would prevent normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea.

Although negotiations between the U.S. and North America have reached a deadlock and the future of the abduction issue remains uncertain, the families have been able to formulate a strategy for the government to find a clue to realize the return of the victim and reunite with the immediate family. I urge you not to repeat the tragedy of being unable to fulfill.