As Japan heads into a snap election, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is rumoured to be weighing a trip to North Korea aimed at securing the return of her country’s citizens who were abducted decades ago.
The suggestion of a breakthrough came from Tsutomu Nishioka, a visiting professor at Reitaku University and long-time campaigner for the abductees’ families.
Nishioka, who chairs the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea and is also a senior member of the conservative Japan Institute for National Fundamentals think tank, told This Week in Asia that Pyongyang had shown openness to talks with Tokyo in exchange for “immediate, large-scale humanitarian aid” that could include food, medicines and fertiliser.
He said his “inside information” had come from contacts “connected to North Korea”, pointing also to recent remarks from Takaichi that he interpreted as signals of a potential diplomatic thaw with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
“Towards resolving the abduction issue, I would like the leaders to engage directly with each other and achieve concrete results,” Takaichi told reporters on January 19, the same day she dissolved the lower house for an election set to be held this Sunday.
Voters cast ballots in Tokyo during the 2025 upper house election. Japan’s prime minister may visit North Korea over abductee talks, depending on election results. Photo: KyodoThe Trump factor
AloJapan.com