このページを
日本語
で読む
JAPAN Forward launched its “Ignite” series of English essays to directly share the voices of students in Japan with their global peers. It is a privilege to share the thoughts and ideas of these future leaders. One is junior high school student Haru Murakami, who learned about North Korea’s abduction of young Japanese who were much like her.
Annually, the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue holds a North Korean Human Rights Violations Awareness Week Essay Contest for junior and senior high school students across the country. (The Government of Japan established the Headquarters, an organization led by the Prime Minister and composed of all the Ministers of State, to resolve the abductions issue.) It aims to raise awareness of the abduction issue through viewing films and stage plays, reading books related to the issue, and other opportunities to help the students understand the feelings of abduction victims and their families.
The winning 2025 English essayists were honored in person at the Government of Japan’s December 13, 2025, Symposium on the Abductions Issue. In this 31st winning essay in the series, Ignite, Haru Murakami shares clear, practical steps all of us can take to help bring home the victims of abduction as quickly as possible. Let’s listen.
Thirty-first in the Series, ‘Ignite’
Haru Murakami receives the Excellence Award from Chief Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Abductions Minoru Kihara on December 13, 2025. (©Prime Minister’s Office)
Haru Murakami
Winner of the 2025 North Korean Human Rights Violations Awareness Week Junior High School English Essay Excellence Award
The North Korean abduction issue is a problem that started in the 1970s and 1980s. During that time, North Korea kidnapped many Japanese people. North Korea wanted to use them to train spies. Many people were taken, and some of them are still missing. This is a serious problem and is still not solved today.
One of the victims was Kaoru Matsuki. He was 26 years old and from Kumamoto. In 1980, he was kidnapped by North Korea. His family did not know what happened to him. They searched for him for many years. They are still hoping he will come home someday. No one knows exactly why he was taken, but his story shows the deep pain his family feels. His family and many people continue to try to find the truth.
Another well-known case is Megumi Yokota. She was 13 years old and lived in Niigata, and she was also kidnapped in 1977. Her case became very famous in Japan and around the world. At first, her parents didn’t know where she went. When they found out she was taken to North Korea, they were very sad. Her parents have worked very hard for many years to bring her back. Many people in Japan and in other countries support them.
What can we do?
1. Learn and Understand.
First, we need to learn about the abduction issue. We can study it in school, read books, or watch news programs. When we learn, we can understand how hard this problem is for the victims and their families.
2. Join and Support.
Next, we can join events or sign petitions. We can also give money to groups that help the families. These actions are small, but they are important. If many people speak up, the government and international groups may take stronger action.
3. Support the Families.
The families have waited for many years. They are still hoping their loved ones will come home. We can support them by watching TV shows about the abductions or sharing their stories.
4. Tell the Next Generation.
It is important to tell younger people about the abduction issue. If we teach them, this problem will not be forgotten. Learning history helps us avoid the same mistakes in the future.
The abduction issue is not solved yet. People like Kaoru Matsuki and Megumi Yokota are still missing. Their families are still waiting. We must keep learning, supporting, and acting. Each of us can make a difference. Together, we can help bring the abducted people back home.
Chief Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Abductions stands for a group photo with the 2025 junior and senior high school essay contest winners on December 13. (©Prime Minister’s Office)
About the Author
When she wrote this essay, Haru Murakami was a third-year student at Uto Junior High School in Kumamoto Prefecture. She was inspired by the stories of two abductees, Megumi Yokota, who was a junior high school student when she was abducted by North Korean agents near her home in 1977, and Kaoru Matsuki, from her own Kumamoto Prefecture, who was abducted by North Korean agents in 1980. Murakami shared this comment upon receiving the Excellence Award for her English Essay by a Junior High School Student:
“The abduction issue is not a matter of the distant past, but a problem that is ongoing even to this day. Knowing about it will give us strength for the future. Let’s work together to change the world from now on.”
RELATED:
Author: Haru Murakami, Student
Uto Junior High School, Kumamoto Prefecture
このページを
日本語
で読む
Continue Reading
AloJapan.com