Meeting with Families of Abductees and Others

On October 17, 2024, Prime Minister Ishiba held a meeting with families of abductees and others at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Prime Minister Ishiba said in his remarks,

“I am ISHIBA Shigeru, Prime Minister. Thank you very much for coming all the way here today in spite of your busy schedules.

I am pleased to see Mr. ARIMOTO Akihiro and Ms. YOKOTA Sakie in person for the first time in a while and find that you are doing well.

Also I would like to reiterate my heartfelt appreciation to Mr. YOKOTA Takuya, Mr. YOKOTA Tetsuya, Mr. IIZUKA Koichiro, and other members of the families for your tireless efforts toward the resolution of the abduction issue.

As I have always stated, I believe that the abduction issue is a violation of national sovereignty, rather than kidnapping cases. I strongly recognize that an act of another country abducting our fellow citizens, which is an essential element of state sovereignty, constitutes nothing but an infringement of national sovereignty.

Human lives themselves are at stake, as Ms. Yokota rightly said. When then-Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea, I was serving as the first chairperson of the parliamentary group on the abduction issue. I remember then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuda informing us of the abductees’ whereabouts here at the Prime Minister’s Office. I have never forgotten, even for a moment, how Ms. Yokota emphatically said, ‘Megumi is alive,’ when he mentioned her.

I remember it very clearly. While Mr. YOKOTA Shigeru has passed away, I believe that the cry of Ms. Yokota at that time was the strongest origin for my feelings toward the abduction issue. Twenty-two years have passed; however, we have not yet been able to realize the return of Ms. YOKOTA Megumi, Ms. TAGUCHI Yaeko, Ms. ARIMOTO Keiko, and other abductees.

As long as 22 years have passed. I share your sense of urgency that the time is running out. It is a race against time, with only one or two more years left. We as the Government will share your wishes for the resolution of the issue by all means and do our utmost going forward.

I delivered my policy speech on October 4 this year, where I stated that we will undertake concerted efforts to work to realize the return of all the abductees to Japan at the earliest possible date, consistent with my strong determination in this regard. As Mr. YOKOTA Takuya always says, it is extremely important for leaders to exchange candid opinions from a broad perspective.

Now that many years have passed and I am a member of the Government, I intend to re-examine and analyze past developments and other matters and take measures considered to be most effective. The abduction issue is one of the starting points of my political activities. As such, I will share your feelings and tackle the issue on a government-wide basis.

I look forward to the meeting today. Thank you very much.”