Funeral Held For Father Of N.korea Abductee
A funeral has been held for the father of Yokota Megumi, a Japanese national abducted and taken to North Korea in the 1970s.
Yokota Shigeru spent half his life trying to bring his daughter home from North Korea. He died on Friday at the age of 87 without being able to see his loved one again.
The service was held on Monday at a church in Kawasaki City, near Tokyo.
About 50 people attended the service, including his wife Sakie and two sons as well as relatives of other Japanese abductees. Government officials and supporters of abductees' families also attended.
Photos of the funeral provided by the Yokota family show flowers surrounding his coffin decorated with blue ribbons, the symbol of the campaign to rescue abductees. A portrait of a smiling Yokota sits next to the casket.
Megumi was abducted in 1977 when she was 13. Along with his wife, Yokota became the symbol of the campaign to bring abductees back to Japan.
The bereaved family will hold a news conference on Tuesday in Tokyo.
