The Vanishing of Megumi Yokota

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In 1977, a thirteen year old girl named Megumi Yokota would disappear less than 800 feet from her home. Over the next 40 years, she would not only remain missing but send the country of Japan into a state of panic that would be felt all the way to the countries leaders.
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[@Cadaber]

The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/cadaber05211

[@user-rm5rz2zh8k]

Everyone : watching emotionally almost holding tears Cadaber : *skillshareeeeeee* 🤡🤡

[@awesomefrog.]

@@user-rm5rz2zh8k let a man get his bag. He spread awareness about this sad story and he's doing more for this world then most. Sponsors just help him make more and higher quality videos FOR people to enjoy.

[@sobot_]

@@awesomefrog. The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/cadaber05211

[@shyam14111986]

How many ads are you gonna run? See how others run one at the beginning or at the end? Follow that.

[@GeekRaj]

What a nicely made video. You explained everything so aptly. Liked and subscribed, glad I found you. Please make videos of more mysteries/unsolved cases that we havent heard about. Like foreign mysteries and unsolved cases. I would love that. Thanks. You presented this video so well. With the voice, music you had me in tears.

[@kodyrowe-manns6360]

"Yeah we accidentally kidnapped your child but don't worry we killed the guys just doing their job that was prob forced on them"

[@Astatos-Lota]

And we wont be returning her, heres some random ashes instead

[@navb0tactual]

*"we totally killed the guys that took her"

[@MadisonTaylorSeungri]

@@navb0tactual I don’t doubt they did kill them. Everything would’ve went smoothly if they didn’t kidnap a child. An adult going missing is way easier to justify than a child. None of this would’ve blown up for decades if they didn’t do that mistake of kidnapping a little girl instead of a grown woman. (Not saying they should kidnap at all, obviously) I do feel some pity for North Korean citizens being born into a country where they are just pawns for their government. I feel none for any government official though.

[@andysyark4696]

Demented people.

[@navb0tactual]

@@MadisonTaylorSeungri good point actually

[@highkit]

These parents are the stongest people ever. Imagine trying so hard to find your daughter for over 40 years and not ever giving up. I hope they will find her, I truly do.

[@user-te7ws5sz1f]

I read this as strangest at first and got very confused

[@highkit]

@@user-te7ws5sz1f OuQ

[@setloose]

It's really sad Shigeru passed away before getting to meet Megumi again, but I'm glad that her story still lives on and her mother is still trying to find her.

[@MissSpaz]

I hate this but as a realist, I have to be honest. I don't believe she's alive. I also don't think those are her ashes. I'm so very angry that the US didn't get involved in the situation even though I understand that it would have aggravated the situation with the USSR and the cold war. I believe that perhaps she might have had better treatment if the situation escalated- as she would have been seen as a valuable asset. The North Koreans say Megumi had a child, but until her mother sees this child and a DNA test is done IN FRONT OF THEM- as in, the mother and Japanese/South Korean officials need to watch the mother and potential grandchild provide DNA and the testing process. North Korea is such a closed book, it's harder to figure out the truth of what's going on there or in the past than figuring out what was going on in the USSR during the cold war. I'm not sure if we'll ever know what exactly happened with Megumi or her potential child.

[@GeekRaj]

I know their determination to find their girl had me in tears. Shows you how great a bond is between parents and their child.

[@guy_th18]

"Megumi, I have become much weaker, but I will never give up." Broke me. Incredibly touching.

[@meqyuu]

Right. I'm sobbing rn

[@Charlie-hv3dh]

@@meqyuu that mother is so strong- I don’t think I’d have any happiness in my life after a tragic event such as that

[@Jacob-sb3su]

@@meqyuu imagine making such an obnoxious username. Cringy how attention seekingyou are

[@yuyukosfaithfulservant]

@@Jacob-sb3su you're one to talk

[@c-milk3327]

@@yuyukosfaithfulservant lmfao

[@caseyd9471]

Honestly, North Korea confuses me. Why admit at all that they abducted these people if they're going to lie about who's alive and who's not? I did read a little further into this and saw that they agreed to return five victims on the condition that those victims return to NK after visiting Japan, and when the five obviously didn't return, NK cried foul and refused to discuss this anymore. The whole thing is both bizarre and fucked up, but a great video shedding light on a story I'd never heard before.

[@cheng3580]

Mostly because politics. They mostly use them as hostages against Japan and Japan can't do much about it, which is sad.

[@dazey856]

@@cheng3580 yeah I mean it’s not like it’s easy to get into NK like other countries they would have to go to war over trying to get them back to do anything but that still wouldn’t lead to them actually finding where they were being kept

[@ThatoneRae]

i speculate her husband is a high ranking official with enough pull to have final say on his wife combined with the information she has

[@adrielsebastian5216]

@@ThatoneRae her husband was South Korean, it's likely he was kidnapped too by NK

[@adrielsebastian5216]

There is a large Korean diaspora in Japan. Some of them are in a group called Chongryon, which is an organisation for Korean in Japan who are pro-NK and is considered to be NK's de facto embassy in Japan, since NK and Japan doesn't have a diplomatic relationship.

[@ulrike4852]

the fact that megumi is still out there, and her family hasnt been able to see her for 40 years.... like shes literally alive, and has been alive that entire time, but her family hasnt been able to contact her at all. literally heartbreaking.

[@Vindsvelle]

i liek turtls

[@ulrike4852]

@@Vindsvelle no way are u for real right now

[@airacobra8498]

@@Vindsvelle brah if u were sorry u wouldn't hgave posted that m8

[@TheAnnarocks123]

@@Vindsvelle dude this isnt the time or the place for this

[@leow3696]

@@Vindsvelle You're not sorry.

[@willem-dafemme]

The fact Megumi's parents were able to meet their granddaughter and great grand daughter is unbelievably amazing and incredibly beautiful but my god this case hurts my heart.

[@starcrafter13terran]

So what did she say about her mother and when they parted? Was she alive recently? Did they return to NK? Did she say anything about her mother?

[@philippap2919]

@Reddit Brink I imagine it would hurt their chances to reveal that. Their argument is 'release my daughter because she won't reveal anything. We just want to be with family', that would be difficult to argue (and risk their safety) if they reported what happened and what was said at that meeting

[@neens7619]

@@starcrafter13terran The part I'm confused about is do they even let people out of NK? Did she defect? If she escaped then wouldn't Megumi be punished?

[@civvie7393]

@@starcrafter13terran facts they could’ve asked where megumi was whether she was alive or dead

[@thelexicon7294]

@@civvie7393 There's about 0,00% chance that they didn't. Anyone would ask, especially after a 40 year search. We just weren't told the specifics, which is probably for the sake of everyone's safety.

[@R1nae]

Stories of North Korea are always so scary. I can’t imagine being taken there and having no way to contact anyone I know or even anyone at all

[@skrrtskrrt2410]

Have you ever seen the promotional videos they made? All the people who comes into frame looks terrified for their life

[@R1nae]

@@skrrtskrrt2410 YES! I watched a video about it by Goose Boose and it’s utterly insane that they try to portray a thriving community when in reality their civilians are living in horrible conditions

[@durjam3734]

The UN really needs to do something about North Korea

[@kam2894]

@@durjam3734 no

[@gaysatan4565]

I don’t even know why people visit there. This one dude took a poster and was so horribly abused that, when he returned to America, he was basically a fucking vegetable. North Korea deserves to sink into the fucking ocean

[@ai-oh-endlll]

hi, im japanese, and this case is a case all japanese will know about. some people even think that this practice is still taking place today (disguised as human trafficing or suicide). its hard for us, and this is why tensions with korea are so high (other reasons as well) but nk really is a terrible country. thanks for featuring this case that means alot for us. 早く事件が解決しますように。

[@saturnus2112]

Hey Keiko you play genshin? Sorry for slipping it in, in this topic

[@chilloutlawolf8622]

I’ve always hated NK and loved the fuck out of Japan, I never this was a thing and I read a lot about NK

[@seraphik]

so i feel as poorly towards NK as anyone, but i think "other reasons" is a huge glossover of the absolutely horrific atrocities inflicted by the Japanese imperial army on Korean and Chinese civilians. people used as target practice, systematic and repeated gangrape... i mean it was stomach turning stuff. as sad as this case is, let's not kid ourselves -- it's Japan's ugly imperial history and continuing refusal to apologize or even acknowledge its WWII crimes that lies at the heart of that tension between the East Asian countries.

[@Youser999]

​@@seraphikDon't forget about Unit 731!

[@CJLOVE23]

I visited Japan in 2001, 2007, 2013, and was supposed to go 2020 before the pandemic hit. I am obsessed with Japanese culture and just love Kyoto. I have a good friend that lives in Sapporo, Hokkaido and hope to visit her again there soon. She just had a baby. I love the Japan sm. 🩵 NK leaders can burn. Those poor people 😭

[@Plague_Crow]

This has got to be the closest one of your stories has brung me to tears, especially with the letter at the end. Wow

[@clems-crows]

same

[@ChromedInside]

Shut up before i kiss you

[@BakedBanana]

oh

[@evedoespersonalhell]

POV: your 5th grade English teacher reads this

[@treydavis309]

Well I did cry so bite me.

[@adrielsebastian5216]

If you see pictures of the Japanese prime minister (particularly Abe and Suga), they can be seen wearing a blue ribbon pin on left lapel a lot. The blue ribbon is to remind them that there are Japanese citizens kidnapped by N Korea and they must be brought back home, whatever the cost. To hear Abe described it: "Now, if you look at the lapel of my jacket, I am wearing a blue-ribbon pin. It is to remind myself, each and every day, that I must bring back the Japanese people who were abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s. Among them was a girl, Megumi Yokota, who was only thirteen at the time." You can see Megumi's parents wearing the pins at 21:51

[@TBM1121]

what ribbon color is for the comfort women? oh ......

[@929er13]

@@TBM1121 you know the japanese government's actions ain't the fault of these random japanese people who were kidnapped, right? no need to whine about the obvious trashy nature of these governments in videos about the victims that are ultimately victims of those same actions. it makes no sense to punish all those people just because they happened to be born in the country whose government and military committed a bunch of atrocities.

[@morganalabeille5004]

@@929er13 It's not criticizing these people or the families, it's criticizing Shinzo Abe, who has denied the existence of comfort women and other Japanese war crimes, including those committed by his own grandfather, whose nickname was the Monster of Manchuria. Him wearing that ribbon while ignoring similar crimes committed by his own country and family shows that his concern for victims is somewhat selective.

[@Pepe-dq2ib]

@@morganalabeille5004 just curious, i googled and cant find when Abe denied the existence of comfort women and war crimes. Most of it is just him deny the numbers and details to the claims, like the ccp is claiming numbers 2x higher than even the population of nanjing at the time. Could you link me to the transcript of his " denied the existence of comfort women" and etc? And not just a 1 liner that can be put out of context, i would like a transcript of this claim of yours. His beef with the comfort women issue was that the Koreans deny that most of them were kidnaped and sold off by koreans and some were prostitutes. Not long ago the comfort women during the occupation by the USA filed a lawsuit against the SK government and that case was thrown out.

[@SuuuB]

​@@Pepe-dq2ib Recently Sk`s own court dismissed a similar lawsuit by comfort women against Japan. Ofc the public didnt like that - but they also never care to look at the details first.. or are afraid to.

[@peopii]

they kidnapped her on accident and didnt feel the need to just bring her back??? after decades and international pressure? he claimed he had the two soldiers killed for taking her, but why KEEP her??? i just hope that NK takes care of her... expecting alot but if she's important to the military and if they truly feel bad about the situation hopefully she lives a comfortable life where ever she is.

[@lol-fq9kc]

Like he said she Probably seen too much and returning her immediately after they captured her wouldve brought attention to the activities that they were doing even though she was still a kid she probably wouldve compramised the whole kidnapping thing north korea was doing like remembering certain words they were saying or faces and many other factors she couldve revealed

[@bakedbaker9882]

Oh honey.. There's no way she was taken good care of. :c She was literally kidnapped and enslaved, never being able to return home after being "wrongly" kidnapped. And that ain't even mentioning the terrible conditions NK's people are forced to live in. Wake up!

[@lol-fq9kc]

@@bakedbaker9882 yeah there's allot of cases where organization kidnap the wrong person and it never ends with oops sorry about that and then releasing them, they always meet the same fate as the person they were originally targeting

[@sodaspider4997]

Unfortunately I doubt she’s very happy no matter what

[@lillipop080501]

@@bakedbaker9882 no need to be condescending to her

[@kingali1606]

The fact that North Korea has kidnapped sovereign citizens from foreign countries is appalling, it is an absolute atrocity that they have separated people from their families and taken them from their homes. One day, justice will be served to those who prey upon the innocent.

[@mechanomics2649]

Unfortunately, that day never comes for some.

[@shsltrash6685]

@@mechanomics2649 well, if you believe in a hell, it does

[@mechanomics2649]

@@shsltrash6685But that's functionally meaningless. They don't see retribution in a material way.

[@rollingvice]

let's just do WWIII

[@montaguemercutio8214]

@Ethan Gaieski You mean escaped?

[@EnteiAlex]

30:57 bro I’m trying to listen to this while DoorDashing now I gotta wipe tears of this dudes pizza John if you see this sorry for the soggy pizza

[@douglasbubbletrousers4763]

Why did you open a box of pizza to cry

[@mrkncd]

what the fuck bro my pizza soggy af

[@Vapormoon]

I find it so fucking insane that in all of my 20 years of living this is the first time I'm ever hearing about this story??? legit sounds straight out of a fictional thriller, how is this not taught in history classes everywhere in the world

[@pauljerome01]

because people in college teach communism = good lol The kidnap and force to marry thing is real, they do it so that they arent able to go back to there country since they have kids

[@20000dino]

As a fellow 20 year old, you clearly haven't read much on North Korea then. This is probably only the tip of the iceberg on all the fucked up shit they've got away with. I genuinely despise that government and wish they would all burn in hell.

[@yuzurucorner]

More people need to know about it. We need help to get justice.

[@TheBucketSkill]

not exactly a historical event lol

[@RaphaelAnthony]

Well, the world is really huge. There's lots of crazy stories from other parts of the world. India, Brazil, Central America and Africa. Language barriers are a huge reason why these stories are not shared to the western countries like the US.

[@ChangelingLumin]

This got dark quickly. I'm speechless, and sad now.

[@Krispsandwich]

What were you expecting

[@dxshawn532]

@@Krispsandwich Pizza

[@hellenicblonde6117]

If Megumi truly is dead, hopefully she and her father were reunited in the afterlife.

[@wesleynishi6081]

This was well made, except you really missed a huge detail on the Korean Airlines 858 flight. Kim Hyun Hui and Kim Sung Il were traveling on fake Japanese passports with names Hachiya Mayumi and Hachiya Shinichi and pretended to be Japanese hence the connection to the abductees.

[@pooksterbrown]

I feel so bad for her and her family. Terrifying to think this happened and not to just her, but others....

[@pororou]

Rather than sad, this story makes me feel super frustrated. It’s the feeling when you felt like you’re almost at the end of your journey but more complications still happen. I cannot imagine what Megumi’s family has been facing all those decades.

[@Saitoshiba]

It actually made me pissed of how can the world let NK do these things and get away with it.

[@jt.633]

I went to read a few articles about this and I keep crying of how the parents never gave up hope, but the father has already passed. The day before she was abducted was his birthday and Megumi gifted him a comb which he always kept in his pocket since. At the hospital room where he stayed before he died due to health complication, he had her photos on the wall which he kept looking at and holding on to hope of seeing her once again. Why did this have to happen to them it is just beyond tragic. I hope she will be reunited in this future with her mother.

[@metropunklitan]

fucking got me tear up man. the parents love their child so much.. the poor family dont deserve this crap. fuck nk and their shady "practices". so many lives ruined

[@yugyeomslita2168]

I can’t believe so many people don’t know about this story, it was honestly so shocking to read about, I did a dissertation on North Korea for an assignment and that’s where I learned about this.

[@taekiotan9158]

I can't believe it's my first time hearing about it now, it's so shocking that it's real

[@ExplodingConsole]

I hadn't of heard about it either. Such a sad story :(.

[@IkaMusume813]

I can't imagine being abducted by North Korea, and to be 13 years old? I hope she's okay if she's still alive.

[@929er13]

tbh being dead might equal to being okay if the other option is being alive as an enslaved, hostage from a country the captor hates.

[@mostlyjovial6177]

@@929er13 to top that. The most brutal and morally bankrupt country in the world to boot.

[@929er13]

@@mostlyjovial6177 yup. I'd prefer the eternal nap over that

[@destroymalefeminists]

being alive in nk is a death sentence unless your family has lots of money and lives in big cities like pyongyang.

[@fish_who_drowned3378]

Thank you so much for bringing this conversation back up, it's important that we never stop talking about it.

[@fish_who_drowned3378]

@@d.s.5279 Same, I probably would never have heard about it if it wasn't for this video

[@mementomori7788]

This story made me incredibly emotional. I hope that one day, Saki at least gets the truth about her daughter even if they can't meet again. I also hope Megumi's daughter and granddaughter are safe (knowing that they met Megumi's parents, it sounds likely they don't know what happened to their mother/grandmother either). Beautiful presentation, thank you for the story, Cadaber!

[@sillyd0g]

whether or not they know of her whereabouts they probably weren't allowed to disclose that information anyway

[@apollo6662]

What disturbs me is how they sent some random persons ashes back. Do they store the ashes of random citizen or....? 😥

[@IronMan-fi3xz]

I mean, it’s not that hard to find some ashes of a random person. You can even buy some from the internet if you know where.

[@Miudroid]

probably just killed a prisoner or random someone or homeless person to send ashes

[@Grom84]

@@Miudroid yep that's a lot easier than anything else to do in nk)

[@EmilyElizabethxox]

There was no shortage of dead people in the 1990s. North Korea was going through a famine and there were people dying everywhere. It could have been any random person.

[@sydneysomer9958]

N Korea doesn't care about their citizens, it was probably one of their's

[@hambuguhyar]

The end made me cry. The letters are so heartbreaking...

[@kati_ichigo]

im actually crying at this. i hope megumi and the rest of the missing 17 return home safely one day, and i applaud their families for being so strong and continuing to fight

[@3lijiah]

I don't smoking that megumi pack too many Chineses

[@emmydragonartz]

@@3lijiah Please touch some grass.

[@shamirquinones8607]

Man… what a tearjerker. Our daughter was born just 3 weeks ago and I can’t imagine how painful it would be to lose her and in this manner. It’s a shame her father died before seeing her again..

[@SilentChelsea]

i can't imagine how this whole thing works. i remember hearing a rumor that english-speaking ppl ( americans, candians, british, etc ) were being kidnapped by korean spies while vacationing in china. they would go out on a walk or on a tour somewhere then just not turn back up at their hotel rooms. rumor was that north korea was kidnapping them and having them teach english to their intelligence officers. idk how much stock i put into it but it wouldn't surprise me if the missing 17 was being utilized in a similar way. that is probably why they won't release megumi. at this point she's too important to be let go. really sad either way.

[@sqeeye3102]

@John Xina Apparently you didn't finish reading the sentence you criticized because they wrote "...while vacationing in china." Unless you don't believe China to be in Asia, which would also be wrong.

[@paulohagan3309]

I read a book about a South Korean couple, an actress and her film director husband (A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power) abducted by NK. In the book they mention at least a Romanian woman, abducted while holidaying somewhere in Asia. I think she became the wife, for a while anyway, of James Dresnik, the American defector. If I recall right, they also mentioned meeting a few other nationalities both Western and non-Western. N Korea did not abduct Japanese as revenge for the war (even if that could be justified); they took other people as well from countries that had nothing to do with war atrocities in Asia.

[@iloveh2oshow1]

This may be one of the most heart breaking cases I've heard. I was trying not to cry while at work. Her mothers letter at the end shattered my heart. I hope that they find this sweet girl and that the family is reunited!

[@copta5525]

My Japanese mom (she's got a penchant for grim stories) would always tell me and my brother about this story. It took me a minute to figure out it was the same one. What a horrible thing to happen. :( (Side note, this might be an exception, but Sakie is usually pronounced sah-kee-eh)

[@johnhein2539]

NK could have just paid a Japanese language tutor to teach their spies Japanese, or hell, just get some books, videos, pimsleur language tapes, and send their spies to Japan to better learn the accents. Would have saved everyone so much trouble. Instead they're just conducting themselves like disgusting criminals. I wonder if any government employees forced to be involved in this business took their own lives? Depression must be so rampant there.

[@pastelsploosh8914]

That is very unlikey, a lot of information sharing websites and books are banned in those types of places in just the fear of giving a person too much knowledge and give them the info on how to leave the place.

[@lulaloopsey]

the fact that she’s still alive & her family is still not able to see her breaks my heart. her parents are so strong i can’t even imagine.

[@MyPetLynx]

The parents are so fucking strong. I can't imagine everything they must have gone through FOR OVER 40 YEARS

[@widgie161]

Oh my god, they got to meet their grand daughter! Seriously made me cry

[@WobblesandBean]

Why didn't they take her with them?

[@Sherolox]

@@WobblesandBean I can imagine that she had already established her life where she was living at that time and it would not be the greatest act of kindness to just remove her from that life. Though, the video did not explain if she was actually living in Mongolia or was actually still a North Korean resident who only went to Mongolia for that meeting. Of course, if she was still a North Korean resident, it would be a good question as to why she didn't immediately defect.

[@juanbaker8717]

@@WobblesandBean im assuming that they are already talking about bringing her to Japan. Like the other commenter said, she might have settled down already there and plucking her out from there might be problematic for the girl as she might not be ready to assimilate into japanese society. Lets just hope that wherever she is, that she is safe and sound

[@natasha8007]

Also don’t forget that it’s North Korea.. they were probably afraid that she may try to escape if reunited. The grandkids were raised with the brainwashing so they are not the risk.

[@nisali522]

The sad fact is, even if she is still alive, it's likely that she will never know how much her parents fought for her

[@lilacsblossom]

That letter made me sob, I feel so bad for Megumi and her family. I'm so glad her mother can find peace in writing these letters. The heartlessness to take and keep a young girl from her family for political power gives me chills. It's so horrible.

[@CuriousGeorgeFloyd]

A bit too sensitive....

[@lilacsblossom]

@@CuriousGeorgeFloyd I'm sorry for having empathy for real people and an awful situation, I guess? I'm more concerned that you think this isn't something to be upset about. But to each their own.

[@CuriousGeorgeFloyd]

@@lilacsblossom I'm really not phased in the least bit by any of it. People die/go missing every day, If we can't have a laugh about it what do we have? I do find the strength, power, and intelligence of North Korea highly impressive however.

[@lilacsblossom]

@@CuriousGeorgeFloyd ..Do you want a medal for not caring about human suffering or something? Congratulations on being desensitized. I'm not, and I don't want to be. I don't think it's something to laugh about. I guess we're different in that regard. I'm not sure where you expect this conversation to go because you won't change my mind 😅

[@CuriousGeorgeFloyd]

@@lilacsblossom I'm not trying to change your mind. Just informing you of a better way. It's like Rape, There's power in pain.

[@prismstudios001]

A true story that sounds like a contrived,over the top spy story….

[@JonSnowIII]

It feels criminal getting this kind of content for free. I can’t stress enough how in awe I am of what you’ve created here. Thank you for putting this out and sharing their story.

[@SwedePotato314]

I was listening to this while driving, and the heartbreaking screams from woman whose loved one was on the Korean Air flight made me start sobbing uncontrollably and I had to pull over. Hearing another human's pain like that is shattering. My question is for anyone who knows more about this than I do, at least until I have some free time to Google and research a bit, but has NK only been doing this to Japanese citizens? I feel like I've heard stories about Chinese, Russian and South Koreans missing and presumed kidnapped as well but I may be mis-remembering. This is such a heartbreaking story. I can't imagine the pain fear and frustration the kidnapping victims and their loved ones felt. I can't believe that NK still exists in much the same state today. Something needs to happen. I understand that one country cannot go into another's because they disagree with their governing. But our fellow human beings live there. They suffer there. They live in fear and hunger every day. I just wish there was something that could be done. Edit: I was NOT ready for the letter from her mother at the end. This hour car ride has turned into a 2 hour one.

[@izzatihassan1475]

yep, they did abduct a number of non Japanese as well. the most famous one, I'd say after Megumi's case that is - is that one South Korean film director and his actress wife who was kidnapped to made propaganda films for the regime.

[@GhostRangerr]

The wife of the American defector James Dresnok is one of those tragic cases, her name is Doina Bumbea who was a Romanian painter that got kidnapped in Japan in 1978 after some guy lured her there promising her a job at an art gallery. She was never seen by her family since then. She died in 1997 at the age of 47, away from her family that she was forcefully separated from 19 years prior. I can't imagine the amount of shock & sadness all these kidnapped people in NK lived/are still living with everyday.

[@potat19]

This one was so hard for me to watch until the end... I cannot imagine how the mother must feel after having her child taken from her, and the father not being able to have a reunion with his daugther. It’s terrifying how easy was for NKorea to just kidnap several Japanese citizens without anyone noticing for so long! Had the first girl not talked, the police would’ve thought that all those disappearances weren’t linked! The letter at the end broke me. I really hope all the family members from the missing people can reunite with them soon. What a nightmare

[@ImDudeRandom90]

I sincerely hope that Megumi manages to return home someday. While it breaks my heart that her father won't get the chance to see her again, it's at least a small comfort knowing that he met his grandchild and great-grandchild.

[@gogledhol]

"..and the memories of your father", that's the part that got me.

[@FransHattingh]

Megumi's mother's letter made me cry like a baby. My heart breaks thinking of the pain Megumi's family has endured for so many decades.

[@odangohead9343]

I stayed on a beach in Tottori prefecture with some friends once. It was just a flimsy tent on the sand, and my Japanese friend was so scared of being abducted by the north Koreans, she sat watch until morning - just holding one of the plastic stakes used to hold the tent in place. I thought she was just paranoid at the time, but then morning came and we noticed a sign on the beach warning to watch out for strange ships for that very reason 😅 and now after watching this I'm scared of being abducted by the north Koreans even from my own home

[@cmoth637]

Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around why feuding countries would go as far as to abduct innocent civilians from their homes. Such a sad case, and I hope NK can admit the truth- at least for the lives they’ve ruined. That poor mother deserves some peace and justice before she passes.

[@RoloTonyBrownTown69420]

Its astonishing Japan didn't declare war when NK admitted to kidnapping people.

[@intension7997]

Sad thing is, Japan has a lot of that going on too, not saying its as big a scale as NK, or that the government in other countries doesn't do that too, but Japan is definitely somewhere where it happens quite a bit.

[@snownykatie66]

Japan is actually constitutionally unable to declare war

[@Feteronii]

lol what? why would they declare to let more of their people die because some people were kidnapped? counterintuitive

[@unintentionaleffectiveness4393]

Japan declare war? You don’t understand politics. They aren’t going to go to war for a few people. Specially not against a country backed by superpowers like China and Russia. That along with Iran, there’s too much nuclear power too try and put NK on its place. They have those 3 nations and Bulgaria and Pakistan as some of its main allies. It’s not worth the trouble so unless they felt attacked or really threatened, this just goes down as little stern talk to save face. Sad because if any government should be overthrown it’s that one. If you see the level of advancements that South Korea has made, it’s like night and day with those neighbors.

[@malachiroberts6198]

@@unintentionaleffectiveness4393 Japan can't because China would aid North Korea, South Korea and America would aid Japan then Russia and Iran would aid North Korea then UK, Germany and Canada on Japan then France, Brazil, Belarus would join North Korea... this is how world wars start...

[@whotfisashtin]

I cant believe this doesnt have millions of views, without a doubt the most informative, heartfelt, and maticulous mystery disappearance videos I've ever seen.

[@xjdfghashzkj]

"I think it's a miracle that I still have peace, despite my extraordinary life" This is such an unremarkable phrase but it echoed in me

[@Clo_Dub]

This sort of thing scares me much more than any ghost story. This stuff really happens everyday. Terrifying.

[@estrellanarvaez-reynolds7387]

Any person should be so lucky to have parents as dedicated and loving as Shigeru and Sakie. I was kidnapped when I was 4 to a foreign country, and my mom stopped at nothing to find me. She was successful. I hope these people feel that same relief.

[@madisonw5829]

Easily one of my favourite videos of yours. I found this topic extremely interesting and loved how deep you dove into it :)

[@simside102]

it's honestly so scary to me that i have never ever heard of this story, and also the fact that you could just be obducted by another state for personal use.. like a tool, it's unsettling. Great video and thanks for shedding some light on this story

[@yeahyeahd]

the utter strength of the parents who go on to fight for and with other parents of missing kids is so inspiring.

[@Bazingerer]

I’m so annoyed and sad that North Korea has as much power as they do making them having enough leverage to almost always win any problems they have, I wish that North Korea was destroyed, it’s so horrible how they can do things like this and pretty much just get away with it like it’s nothing

[@platinumdiamond1445]

Same here like the South and the North had a ceasefire for so long . Just end it already. Not like the North would win anyways most nations other than China (the economic brain) and Russia (the nuclear brawn) would help them. That being if Kim doesn't sever ties with them/pisses them off before hand so they won't protect him.

[@WobblesandBean]

@@platinumdiamond1445 The problem is China. Big Daddy China supports NK, as if the world needed another reminder of how eviI China is. If anyone tries to free NK, China will retaliate by cutting off all economic support, and...well, the parts of the world capable of doing so simply refuse to risk their trillions of Chinabux. It's not an issue of fire power, but one of greed.

[@unintentionaleffectiveness4393]

Well, they themselves don’t hold much of anything but China and Russia as your best friends will do that for you.

[@xDDufiosy]

@@WobblesandBean china does this because the ua military bases in SK need to be buffered by territory controlled by china, hence the support for NK, a region buffering the usa military bases established in SK to spy into china.

[@Emkito]

@@platinumdiamond1445 I honestly think once Putin and Xi Jinping are out the office, something's gonna change (at least, I hope it does)

[@alyssat.8793]

Unfathomable to think this could have really happened to so many families. Heartbreaking. I can’t believe I’d never heard of this story

[@wheezerr]

The people who disliked this video disliked because of how sad this made them

[@kodyrowe-manns6360]

Which is reasonable. They prob dislike the video because of the themes and how it made them feel. If something made me really upset I would dislike it as well

[@PreciousArianneRRecto]

it doesn't make sense why of course the video theme is gonna be upsetting then why watch it? its obvious from the title already its not that hard to ignore or click off but whatever the dislike button is there for a reason i guess

[@arjunsunil8665]

Just dont like or dislike

[@junimeme5626]

32:40 This part absolutely broke me. I wasn't expecting this. If you listen to her letter closely, and actually listen to it, you'll hear the depths of her mother's pain. You'll also hear the strength she gathers to somehow make a reflection upon the politics surrounding her daughter's disappearance. No mother or parent should ever go through this. I don't know if it's the war in Ukraine up north from me that made me this sensitive to death in recent times but things like these really take me somewhere else.

[@carolyngair7051]

You contribute so much quality content, well researched, well edited, brilliantly told. I’m glad you keep adding the kind of content the world needs.

[@kaitlynd8131]

thank you for sharing this. i've never heard of this story before and now that i know about it i hope i can spend it in some way and help find and save megumi

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

An extremely well constructed, thoughtful, and respectful, presentation. You're doing incredibly well. May it continue.

[@phieee8352]

i feel bad for megumis brothers. cant imagine how it must feel to grow up in the shadow of a person that isnt even there

[@illuminutty9723]

thanks for this man. you're the perfect guy to narrate this for us. you didn't distract from the video by showing your face and treated this matter with solemnity.

[@havoc697]

Not gonna lie I assumed the bomb lady would have ended up being Megumi at first

[@exoliv9498]

I couldn’t hold back my tears at the end, when you read the letter. I’m feeling so sorry for the parents because of the loss they must have felt searching for their child for 40 years and how it must have destroyed their lifes. I dearly hope that they find Megumi one day and can reunite with her.

[@blerst7066]

I'm not sure what's worse. Not knowing your whereabouts of your daughter forever, or realizing that she's alive but never coming back.

[@saturnfan10]

Man, I can't think of another story shared by any creator that has truly made me cry. This one did just that. You truly have a gift, telling such a story while imparting the raw emotion of the family is not a task taken lightly. How quickly you become my favorite story teller is amazing. Thanks

[@siqnoir3626]

Can’t get enough of this channel. You’re great, Cadaber. Really. Thank you!

[@arabelllaxo]

I'm an avid true crime listener and I normally don't ever get too emotional with these stories, but this one got me. especially the ending... definitely had me tearing up. I cant even imagine how megumi feels throughout all these years. being taken away as a child from the only life you've ever known and being forced to live out a different life in a completely different place without anyone you know and without ever being able to speak to your mom, dad, and siblings ever again.... all because of politics and evil human beings. my heart truly hurts for her and her family. this was one of the hardest cases I've ever heard. and it's not gorey or brutal like the others. it's just... sad.

[@maddiej5131]

this broke my heart and made me think.

[@junk_mccartney9504]

A truly touching story and video. Keep up the good work man. It’s because of you people who would have never heard of this case (such as myself) were able to learn about it.

[@JazminJazHunt]

I first heard of this story so years ago but I never looked too into it. I found your video by chance and I'm so glad I did. The way you told this story was so moving I couldn't help but tear up, especially at the very end. I really hope Saki gets to meet her daughter in the near future 🙏 ❤

[@loduk102]

How have I never heard of this? Thank you Cadaber!

[@nimagraven]

Honestly this story is so heartbreaking. I never knew about this until today. I can't imagine what her parents have been through and then North Korea only added insult to injury constantly with all the lies and particularly the ashes when they so desperately wanted closure. The fact that her father never got closure before death and Megumi's mother will likely never get that closure before she passes away either is just too much to think about.

[@tylermartin5003]

You’re easily one of the best on here already. Keep it up. Glad I found your channel

[@ri_yung]

what immensly sad and outrageous story indeed, but i also want to mention how much you have developed in the sense of coverage of the story, research and video editing. back in the day i remember you had to apologize for kind of a "half-assed" video, and since then the videos put up are pretty much documentary level, not to even mention the topics you choose don't have that much coverage on youtube (or at least not any that i have seen). so thank you for your hard work, can't wait to see where you will go, and also thank you for covering stories that need way more attention they have now.

[@ritaparma7936]

I was doing fine, keeping my emotions in check, until you put the photos of Megumi's old parents and then I just couldn't stop crying

[@Kittysuit]

cadaber: goodnight me, while the sun is blinding me: goodnight!!!

[@rickiavelli]

Man this is the first KZbin video in a long time that's made me cry. I couldn't hold it in after hearing how Megumi's father passed away with her picture by his side. I hope that she and Sakie are reunited someday soon. Great coverage of a very important case Cadaber. Thank you for treating it with the sincerity and sensitivity it deserves.

[@_d6526]

Thanks for uploading these videos cadaber, they always make my day better and keep me informed on things like this. I love your content.

[@catalinaplaza7909]

This was a very well researched video, amazing work

[@Feiy16]

Regrettably, I'd never heard of this. I enjoyed your presentation greatly, it was very engaging and I ended up being a good bit more emotionally devastated than I anticipated upon finding this video. Particularly after hearing the letter Megumi's mother wrote.

[@ZombryaTheDark]

When he read the letter..jesus I never cry at these videos but that got me

[@leebee1100]

This made me cry. Incredibly well put together video. My heart breaks for the parents and kids who only wished to be back together their entire lives 💔

[@bigsmoke9139]

Cadaber uploads a long video, my next hour plans seem to have disappeared

[@ladymae645]

This is so heartbreaking. By the end I had tears in my eyes no parent should be left wondering for the rest of their life what happened to their child.

[@nd835]

i appreciate you bringing light to a story as tragic as this. things like this happen all the time all over the world and i think her parents are starting a revolutionary movement

[@jennifercarr9111]

You did this exceptionally well! What an incredibly tragic and powerful story. 💔

[@simonghoul3602]

it's incredible how much time they had spent trying to get her back, that's true commitment. I don't think there is going to be a good ending to this story

[@ohnoamistake]

4:10 the icing on the cake writes "congratulations, 100 days since birth" (축 첫돌) in korean?

[@PeachysMom]

A baby’s first 100 days is celebrated like a birthday in parts of Asia if I remember correctly

[@ohnoamistake]

@@PeachysMom yea but the point is that the cake was written in korean despite the family being japanese, and isnt that????

[@es.9997]

@@ohnoamistake that’s reaaalllyyyy weird

[@TheSlipperyNUwUdle]

@@PeachysMom I follow a lady from Korea that says she’s 34 but that’s only her Korean birthday. She’s actually a few years younger (like... biologically? It throws me off, remembering she’s not actually that old every time)

[@ofuckingkay617]

@@es.9997 It's actually because it's an illustration for what he's talking about, not an actual picture of the family I think. (he confused Korean pictures with Japanese ones a lot in this video & mispronounced some names so I do think it's simply an error ^^)

[@briancampbell5664]

It's amazing to me that you have less than 200k subscribers. I see stories here I've never seen anywhere. It's nice to see someone covering stories that haven't already been done to death by previous channels. Keep it up man.

[@lukep.5957]

This is such an incredibly fascinating story...I've never heard of this story before. Thank you for uploading this!!!

[@foloan1209]

Ms. Yokota's words at the end of the video gave me goosebumps. I hope she will get to see her daughter in person before she passes.

[@hivpositive133]

I see you uploaded then realised 20 views and 1 min ago. Earliest I've been. Already know it's gonna be amazing your videos are always top quality in all regards

[@hannahriley8085]

Oh my! You made this so well it was like watching a film ! Thank you for bringing light to this situation especially for those of us that are in the west . I'm almost 50 yet have never even heard of this

[@lenabanx6221]

Amazingly well-done video. Impactful, informative, emotional, heartbreaking... thank you for telling this story. Im positive that the Yokota's would be touched to know someone else is still spreading her story in ways they cannot.

[@theshape3988]

This guy makes fantastic videos. I really appreciate the hard work and enjoy them

[@pottingsoil723]

The trick is to subscribe to Nexpo, Barely Sociable, Slightly Sociable, Cadaber, ReignBot, BlameItOnJorge, LEMMiNO, and InsideAMind. Then you never run out of interesting / mystery content to watch :D

[@jellyhappening1458]

The heartbreak I felt when you said her father passed without them being reunited hurt so much. I hope there's an afterlife so at the very least the family will be together there.

[@gracie4394]

Thank you for the immense effort you put into this video. It didn't go unnoticed.