"I feel lonely as if I had a hole in my heart."
Before the death of Megumi Yokota's father, Shigeru Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea in the first year of junior high school, his wife Sakie (85) responded to NHK's independent interview.
Sakie Yokota made it clear that she had decided not to deliver Shigeru's remains until Megumi returned to Japan, and asked the government to return all the abductees as soon as possible. I strongly requested it again.
“Lonely feeling like a hole in the heart”
Megumi Yokota's father, Shigeru Yokota, and his wife, Sakie, have been at the forefront of activities as a "symbol of the abduction victims' rescue movement," but died on June 5, last year at the age of 87. ..
Sakie Yokota showed me a photo taken at home in a solo interview with NHK late last month, one year before she died.
In the picture is Shigeru's deceased on the shelf, a photo of Megumi and colorful flowers lined up around it, and a box containing Shigeru's remains.
Megumi's photo was taken under the cherry blossoms of the school immediately after entering junior high school, one of the smiles at the athletic meet of the elementary school, and Ms. Megumi who became an adult that North Korea put out in 2004. Three pieces of the copy of are displayed.
It is said that Sakie has spent the past year talking to Shigeru by offering a glass of sake that Shigeru loved every day.
Sakie said, "It's been unthinkably early." Looking back on the past year, "I think I can't hear the voice of my husband opening the front door and saying'I'm home'," he said, "It's really already. I feel lonely as if I had a hole in my heart. "
"I just wanted to see you ..."
Shigeru was forced to stay in the hospital for more than two years in his later years, and Sakie visited the hospital every day while continuing activities to seek the return of the abductees.
However, last spring, visits were banned due to the spread of the new coronavirus.
Sakie entrusted the nurse with letters and pictures she drew.
In this interview, Mr. Sakie also showed me the letters and pictures at that time.
A picture of a rose drawn using pastel on a piece of paper about the size of a stationery.
The appearance of the rose buds that were raised at home when they began to swell, and then when the large flowers bloomed, is carefully depicted in pale shades such as pink and purple.
And the letter repeatedly says, "Please be fine with hope" and "Let's pray, believing that a good day will come", and the day when we can meet Megumi again. I want Shigeru to continue to have hope until the letter arrives.
However, he decided to take Shigeru without fulfilling that wish, and Sakie said, "The nurse said,'Please speak out loudly.' I shouted in my ear. At that time, the end came and tears were bleeding from one eye. Unfortunately, I had various feelings that I wanted to meet. I think it is. "
On top of that, he said, "I was most disappointed that I couldn't meet him even though I wanted to meet him so much. I feel that my husband's death is asking,'What was the last 40 years?'" It was.
"I want to hold you at least"
Sakie Yokota revealed that she decided not to deliver Shigeru's remains until Megumi returned to Japan.
Regarding the reason, he said, "When Megumi comes back, I want to say,'Dad, I did my best,' and at least hold him in my arms. Until then, I'd like to leave it."
Of the 12 government-certified abduction victims whose safety is unknown, Shigeru and Keiko Arimoto's mother, Kayoko, died last year.
The number of people who died without reuniting with their children will be eight after the 2002 Japan-North Korea summit meeting alone.
There are only two parents who are still alive, Sakie and Keiko Arimoto's father, Akihiro (92).
Sakie said, "The parents and siblings of the victims are all really weak. I wonder if I can't get it back even if I come here, what if I don't do it now? I want them to take it seriously and move it seriously, and somehow realize the Japan-North Korea summit meeting, "he said, urging the government to realize the earliest possible return of all abductees.