Megumi Yokota’s Mother Last Surviving Parent of an Abductee; Sakie Yokota, 89, Continues to Demand Daughter’s Return

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:22 JST, February 18, 2025

Following the death of Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko Arimoto was abducted by North Korea 42 years ago, Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi Yokota was abducted at the age of 13, held a press conference in Kawasaki on Monday. “I am really disappointed,” she said. “I wish I could have given him a chance to see [Keiko] at least once.”

Since the association of families of abductees was formed in March 1997, the parents had encouraged each other while continuing their efforts to secure the return of their loved ones. The last time Yokota saw Arimoto was at a rally held in Tokyo in November, which he attended in his wheelchair. When she approached him and said, “We will do our best, so don’t push yourself too hard,” he responded, “I’m still okay.”

With his death at 96, Yokota is now the only surviving member among the generation of parents of abductees who have not yet returned to Japan. Sakie, who was also hospitalized in 2023 after falling ill due to overwork, feels her health is declining. “I’m finally alone and I feel empty,” she said. “Why doesn’t the Japanese government solve this problem?” She was angry at the lack of progress on the abduction issue, and said: “I may not be around next year. I will do everything I can while I am still alive and continue to appeal to the government.”