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Forum on abduction issue in Nagoya

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks during a government-sponsored forum on the abduction issue in Nagoya, central Japan, on Feb. 21, 2026. His elder sister Megumi (R in picture) was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13.

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Forum on abduction issue in Nagoya

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks during a government-sponsored forum on the abduction issue in Nagoya, central Japan, on Feb. 21, 2026. His elder sister Megumi (R in picture) was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13.

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Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Sakie Yokota (front R), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks to reporters following a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. Standing next to her is her son Takuya, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, meets the press following a meeting between members of the group and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. His elder sister Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13.

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Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Takuya Yokota (R), head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. Sitting next to him is his mother Sakie, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13.

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Families of abductees meet with PM Takaichi

Sakie Yokota (C), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2026. Her son Takuya (R), head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, also attended the meeting.

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Families of abductees hold rally in Tokyo

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks during a joint rally with a group supporting them in Tokyo on Feb. 15, 2026.

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Families of abductees hold rally in Tokyo

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks during a joint rally with a group supporting them in Tokyo on Feb. 15, 2026.

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Families of abductees hold rally in Tokyo

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks during a joint rally with a group supporting them in Tokyo on Feb. 15, 2026.

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Abductee's mother Sakie Yokota

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, meets the press in Kawasaki near Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before turning 90 on Feb. 4.

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Abductee's mother Sakie Yokota

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, meets the press in Kawasaki near Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before turning 90 on Feb. 4.

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Abductee's mother Sakie Yokota

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, meets the press in Kawasaki near Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before turning 90 on Feb. 4.

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Abductee's mother Sakie Yokota

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, meets the press in Kawasaki near Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before turning 90 on Feb. 4.

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Japan PM meet families of abductees

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (far L) meets with families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea at the premier's office in Tokyo on Feb. 20, 2025. Among them were Takuya Yokota (2nd from L), head of a group representing the families, whose sister Megumi was abducted by the North in 1977 at age 13, and their mother, Sakie (2nd from R).

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Japan PM meet families of abductees

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (L) speaks at a meeting with families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea at the premier's office in Tokyo on Feb. 20, 2025. Seen in the foreground is Sakie Yokota, whose daughter, Megumi, was abducted by North Korea at age 13 in 1977.

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[Breaking News]Mother of Japanese abductee

KAWASAKI, Japan, Feb. 18 Kyodo - Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks to reporters in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, on Feb. 17, 2025, following the death of Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23. Arimoto's family said the same day that he had died of natural causes aged 96, leaving Yokota as the only surviving parent of an individual listed by Japan as having been abducted by North Korea. (Kyodo)

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Mother of Japanese abductee

Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks to reporters in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, on Feb. 17, 2025, following the death of Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23. Arimoto's family said the same day that he had died of natural causes aged 96, leaving Yokota as the only surviving parent of an individual listed by Japan as having been abducted by North Korea.

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Father of woman abducted by N. Korea dies at 96 without reunion

Akihiro Arimoto (R), whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23, and Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, attend a meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 2, 2023. Arimoto had died of natural causes aged 96 without seeing his daughter, his family said on Feb. 17, 2025, leaving Yokota as the only surviving parent of an individual listed by Japan as having been abducted by North Korea. (Pool photo)

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Mother of Japanese abductee

Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks to reporters in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, on Feb. 17, 2025, following the death of Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23. Arimoto's family said the same day that he had died of natural causes aged 96, leaving Yokota as the only surviving parent of an individual listed by Japan as having been abducted by North Korea.

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Mother of Japanese abductee

Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks to reporters in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, on Feb. 17, 2025, following the death of Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23. Arimoto's family said the same day that he had died of natural causes aged 96, leaving Yokota as the only surviving parent of an individual listed by Japan as having been abducted by North Korea.

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Mother of Japanese abductee

Sakie Yokota, 89, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks to reporters in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, on Feb. 17, 2025, following the death of Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23. Arimoto's family said the same day that he had died of natural causes aged 96, leaving Yokota as the only surviving parent of an individual listed by Japan as having been abducted by North Korea.

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Families of abductees slam gov't plan for N. Korea liaison offices

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea at age 13 in 1977, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2025. The group reaffirmed its opposition to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's plan to set up liaison offices in Tokyo and Pyongyang to resolve the long-standing issue.

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Abductee's mother

Sakie Yokota, 88, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea at age 13 in 1977, gives an interview in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Feb. 20, 2024.

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Abductee's mother

Sakie Yokota, 88, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea at age 13 in 1977, gives an interview in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Feb. 20, 2024, with photos of Megumi and Kim Eun Gyong, Megumi's daughter, by her side.

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Abductee's mother

Sakie Yokota, 88, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea at age 13 in 1977, gives an interview in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Feb. 20, 2024, with photos of Megumi and Kim Eun Gyong, Megumi's daughter, by her side. (Kyodo)

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Rally on abduction issue

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks at a government-sponsored rally on their abduction in Kochi, western Japan, on Feb. 17, 2024. Yokota is a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

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Abductee's mother

Sakie Yokota, 88, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea at age 13 in 1977, meets the press in Tokyo on Feb. 15, 2024.

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Abductee's mother meets with top gov't spokesman Matsuno

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno (R) holds talks at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 6, 2023, with Sakie Yokota (C), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea at age 13 in 1977, and Megumi's classmate Masaki Ikeda (3rd from R).

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Abductee's kin

KAWASAKI, Japan - (From L) Sakie and Shigeru Yokota answer reporters' questions in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, after North Korea conducted a third nuclear test on Feb. 12, 2013. Their daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at the age of 13.

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Ex-Panasonic President Yamashita dies at 92

TOKYO, Japan - File photo taken in January 1977 shows Toshihiko Yamashita, former president of Panasonic Corp. Yamashita died of old age on Feb. 28, 2012. He was 92.

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Nuclear power plant in Fessenheim, France

TOKYO, Japan - File photo taken in March 2011 shows the Fessenheim nuclear power plant in Fessenheim, eastern France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the plant Feb. 9, 2012, and said before its workers he will not shut down the country's oldest nuclear plant that began operating in 1977.

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Award-winning writer Miyoshi dies at 76

MORIOKA, Japan - Award-winning writer Kyozo Miyoshi (file photo taken in Feb. 1977) died of a stroke May 11 at a hospital in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, his family said. He was 76. Miyoshi, whose real name was Hisao Sasaki, published ''Kosodate Gokko'' (Play Nurturing), based on his experiences as a teacher at small, remote schools, which won the prestigious Naoki literary award in 1977.

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Cheney meets Yokotas in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (L) meets with Shigeru Yokota (R) and his wife Sakie at the official residence in Tokyo of the U.S. ambassador to Japan on Feb. 22. The Yokotas, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13 and remains missing, asked Cheney that the United States keeps N. Korea on its list of states sponsoring terrorism until the abduction issue is resolved. (Pool photo)

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Noel Paul Stookey performs 'Song for Megumi' at PM's official residence

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. folk singer Noel Paul Stookey performs ''Song for Megumi'' at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo on Feb. 20 for an audience that includes (from C to R) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Shigeru Yokota and his wife Sakie, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13. Stookey says he wrote the song to help raise people's awareness of the abduction issue.

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Japan film to be turned into Hollywood remake

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese director Yoji Yamada (L) said Feb. 12 that his 1977 film ''Shiawase no Kiiroi Hankachi'' (The Yellow Handkerchief) will be turned into a Hollywood remake featuring Oscar-winning U.S. actor William Hurt. Yamada poses for photos in Tokyo on Feb. 12 with Arthur Cohn, the new movie's producer who is known for his Oscar-winning works.

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Families of abductees to visit U.S. next week

TOKYO, Japan - (From R to L) Teruaki Masumoto, Shigeru Yokota and his wife Sakie announce in Tokyo on Feb. 27 that they plan to visit the United States next week to seek help from the U.S. government and the American people in settling the abduction issue. The Yokotas' daughter Megumi was abducted in 1977 at age 13 and is said to have died in North Korea and Masumoto's sister Rumiko was abducted in 1978 when she was 24 and reported as dead by N. Korea.

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Relatives of 'abducted' Japanese ask for U.S support

WASHINGTON, United States - Sakie Yokota (L), mother of Megumi Yokota, who went missing in the city of Niigata on the Sea of Japan coast in November 1977 at age 13, speaks at the National Press Club in Washington on Feb. 26, with U.S. supporters standing by her side. A group of relatives of Japanese nationals allegedly abducted by North Korean agents is appealing its case to the American public and urging the U.S. government to press North Korea to account for group members' missing kin.

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Kin of allegedly abducted Japanese fly to U.S. seeking support

NARITA, Japan - Relatives of Japanese nationals allegedly kidnapped by North Korean agents and supporters of the relatives leave Narita airport for the United States on Feb. 25 to call for U.S. government support in resolving the long-standing issue. The 11-member group includes Shigeru Yokota (C), 68, father of Megumi Yokota, who went missing in the city of Niigata on the Sea of Japan coast in November 1977 at age 13.

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North Korean abduction issue

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Kenta Izumi (front) speaks to the media after visiting the area where Megumi Yokota is believed to have been abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, in Niigata, Japan, on Feb. 6, 2022.

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North Korean abduction issue

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Kenta Izumi (C) visits the area where Megumi Yokota is believed to have been abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, in Niigata, Japan, on Feb. 6, 2022.

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Noel Paul Stookey performs 'Song for Megumi' at PM's official re

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. folk singer Noel Paul Stookey performs ''Song for Megumi'' at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo on Feb. 20 for an audience that includes (from C to R) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Shigeru Yokota and his wife Sakie, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13. Stookey says he wrote the song to help raise people's awareness of the abduction issue. (Kyodo)

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Halt to abduction probe draws mixed reactions from victims' families

Sakie Yokota, the 80-year-old mother of abduction victim Megumi Yokota, who was taken away to North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks with reporters in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, on Feb. 13, 2016, in the wake of a decision by Pyongyang to suspend its probe into the whereabouts of missing Japanese nationals. Yokota pleaded for the return of her daughter she has not seen for nearly four decades. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese abductees' kin speak following N. Korean rocket launch

Shigeru Yokota (R) and his wife Sakie, whose daughter Megumi was abducted to North Korea at age 13 in 1977, speak to reporters in Tokyo on Feb. 7, 2016, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket, a move widely viewed as a pretext for a ballistic missile test. They expressed concern over further delays in bilateral talks on the abduction issue following Pyongyang's provocative action. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Aging mother urges gov't to address N. Korea abductions urgently

Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted to North Korea at age 13 in 1977, speaks at a meeting in Tokyo on Jan. 28, 2016. Yokota urged the government before her 80th birthday on Feb. 4 to tackle the abduction issue with a sense of urgency, especially since she and her husband Shigeru are losing their strength with age. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Award-winning writer Miyoshi dies at 76

MORIOKA, Japan - Award-winning writer Kyozo Miyoshi (file photo taken in Feb. 1977) died of a stroke May 11 at a hospital in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, his family said. He was 76. Miyoshi, whose real name was Hisao Sasaki, published ''Kosodate Gokko'' (Play Nurturing), based on his experiences as a teacher at small, remote schools, which won the prestigious Naoki literary award in 1977. (Kyodo)

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Cheney meets Yokotas in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (L) meets with Shigeru Yokota (R) and his wife Sakie at the official residence in Tokyo of the U.S. ambassador to Japan on Feb. 22. The Yokotas, whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13 and remains missing, asked Cheney that the United States keeps N. Korea on its list of states sponsoring terrorism until the abduction issue is resolved. (Pool photo)(Kyodo)

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Japan film to be turned into Hollywood remake

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese director Yoji Yamada (L) said Feb. 12 that his 1977 film ''Shiawase no Kiiroi Hankachi'' (The Yellow Handkerchief) will be turned into a Hollywood remake featuring Oscar-winning U.S. actor William Hurt. Yamada poses for photos in Tokyo on Feb. 12 with Arthur Cohn, the new movie's producer who is known for his Oscar-winning works. (Kyodo)

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Ex-Panasonic President Yamashita dies at 92

TOKYO, Japan - File photo taken in January 1977 shows Toshihiko Yamashita, former president of Panasonic Corp. Yamashita died of old age on Feb. 28, 2012. He was 92. (Kyodo)

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Nuclear power plant in Fessenheim, France

TOKYO, Japan - File photo taken in March 2011 shows the Fessenheim nuclear power plant in Fessenheim, eastern France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the plant Feb. 9, 2012, and said before its workers he will not shut down the country's oldest nuclear plant that began operating in 1977. (Kyodo)

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Oldest nuclear power plant in France

Photo taken Feb. 21, 2020, shows France's oldest nuclear power plant in Fessenheim, France. One of two reactors at the plant, which began operation in 1977, was shut down the same day, with the remaining one scheduled to be closed at the end of June. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo