Abductee Megumi Yokota's Classmates Donate Cherry Trees to School
Niigata, April 10 (Jiji Press)--Classmates of Megumi Yokota on Thursday donated cherry trees to a junior high school in Niigata, a city in central Japan, that they had attended when the then 13-year-old was abducted to North Korea.
On April 10, 1977, Megumi's father, Shigeru, photographed her standing in front of cherry trees at the Yorii junior high school. Seven months later, she was kidnapped by North Korean agents while on her way home from school.
With some trees that were blooming in the photo already reaching old age, Megumi's classmates decided to gift new trees to the school to pray for her swift return home.
On Thursday, the classmates planted five cherry tree saplings at the school.
"We'd like her to come home (right away) as early as even tomorrow," Masaki Ikeda, 60, one of the classmates, said, voicing hopes for Megumi to be reunited with her 89-year-old mother, Sakie.
(2025/04/10-18:13)
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