September 24, 2007
APOLOGIES
The News Updates blog is currently experiencing technical problems, and the main article window doesn't show. I'm working on it and will try to make it work again a.s.a.p. The categories list on the right, however, is working if you want to look into a particular topic.
Editor-in-Chief, THINK
Posted by THINK at 04:17 PM
October 13, 2006
Story on Abduction to air on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360"
Read the message from the producers of "Abduction":
*****************
Dear Supporter of "ABDUCTION",
We are very pleased to announce that CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" will be doing a story tonight (Oct 11) on the Japanese abductions as well as our film. It will air at 11-12pm (midnight) East Coast time or 8-9pm West Coast time. You should also know that President Bush mentionned his meeting with Megumi's Mom today during his White House press conference. We hope you'll be watching. Check out the link to the website for more info.
Best,
Chris and Patty
Directors/Producers, ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story
*****************
FYI ﾊ- CNN ANDERSON COOPER SHOW (at 10) HAS POSTPONED OUR STORY ON ABDUCTION TO TOMORROW (Oct 12) NIGHT'S SHOW BECAUSE OF TODAY'S BREAKING NEWS - PLANE CRASH IN NYC.
WATCH TOMORROW NIGHT.
*****************
Posted by THINK at 12:23 AM
June 27, 2006
apologies
Due to circumstances, uploading of news entries between June 17 and 28 will be postponed until later when the editor finds some time to do so. Thank you for your understanding.
Posted by THINK at 05:57 PM
May 26, 2006
Film "Abduction" to screen in Atlanta, Sydney
ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story Screenings
Atlanta Film Festival, ATLANTA, GA (June 11 & 12, 2006)
Sydney Film Festival, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (June 17 & 18, 2006)
"ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story" is the winner of:
-San Francisco International Asian-American Film Festival (Best Documentary)
-Slamdance Film Festival (Audience Award)
-Omaha Film Festival (Audience Award)
-Hot Docs Film Festival (Top 10 Audience Favorite).
It was also a nominee in:
-Atlanta Film Festival (Best Feature Documentary)
and official selection of:
-Sydney Film Festival
-Sedona International Film Festival
-Cleveland International Film Festival
-Independent Film Festival Boston.
Posted by THINK at 01:33 PM
April 05, 2006
Megumi's Photos Exhibited in Yokohama April 4-11
"Message from Megumi and her Family -- Shigeru Yokota Photo Exhibition" is being held at the Yokohama Takashimaya from April 4 through 11.
On exhibit are about 70 pictures of abductee Megumi Yokota and her family taken by her father Shigeru between her birth and her abduction in 1977. Over 60,000 citizens visited this exhibit held at 4 venues (Yurakucho, Tachikawa, Niigata and Takasaki) since November 2005. Asagao-no-kai, comprised mostly of Yokota's neighbors in Kawasaki, is organizing the show.
3,200 visitors came to the Yokohama exhibition on the first day.
Date: Tuesday, April 4 - Tuesday, April 11, 2006.
Time:10AM - 6:30PM (Enter before 6PM except on Apr 11 when doors close at 4:30)
Place: Bara-no-ma hall, 6th floor, Yokohama Takashimaya department store
Posted by THINK at 03:23 PM
February 20, 2006
"Concert for Rescuing Abductees" to be held Apr 22 in Washington D.C.
"ReACH: Rescuing Abductees Center for Hope," based in Washington D.C. is planning a rally and concert in front of the White House on April 22, 2006, in which the abductees' families and international supporters will read letters to the abductees, call names of the abductees, sing songs for the abductees and walk for the cause on the White House Sidewalk.
For details, please visit their website at: http://www.asanocpa.com/reach/
Posted by THINK at 01:34 PM
"ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story" Screening Schedule
I have learned from Washington D.C.-based supporter group "ReACH: Rescuing Abductees Center for Hope" that there will be screenings of the film "ABDUCTION" in Sedona, Arizona, Cleveland, Ohio, and San Francisco, California in February and in March. Here is a message the group received from the producers of the film. If you are in any of these areas, please go see the film and tell everyone around you what you saw.
*********
Dear supporter of Abduction,
We wanted to let you know about upcoming screenings of the film. We
know not all of you are in the following cities but if you have friends
or family that might be interested, please let them know. In addition
to the cities listed below, we will be in Atlanta, Boston and Toronto
in the next couple of months. We will update you with those when we get
details.
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona International Film Festival and Workshop
Friday, February 24, 8:15am
Harkins Theater 6
Saturday, February 25, 3:25pm
Harkins Theater 5
Tickets: 928-282-1177
www.sedonafilmfestival.com
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland International Film Festival
Friday, March 17, 2:45pm
Saturday, March 18, 4:15pm
Tower City Cinemas
Tickets: 1-866-865-FILM
www.clevelandfilm.org
San Francisco, California
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
Tuesday, March 21, 6:45pm
Kabuki 8 Theaters
Tickets: 1-415-865-1588
www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org
Thanks again for your support.
Chris and Patty
Directors, ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story
*********
Posted by THINK at 01:20 PM
January 08, 2006
Megumi's Photos Exhibited in Tachikawa Jan 6-10
"Message from Megumi and her Family -- Shigeru Yokota Photo Exhibition" is being held at the Asahi Gallery in Tachikawa, Tokyo, from January 6 through 10, 2006.
On exhibit are about 70 pictures of abductee Megumi Yokota and her family taken between her birth and her abduction in 1977. All the photographs are taken by her father Shigeru. The same event was held in Yurakucho in November 2005 and was visited by over 20,000 people. Asagao-no-kai, comprised mostly of Yokota's neighbors in Kawasaki, is organizing the show.
Megumi's mother Sakie: "I hope people will see that we were a family just like another, and sense that abduction could happen to anybody,"
The Gallery (042-525-4811) is on the 9th floor of Lumine Tachikawa shopping mall, which is connected to JR Tachikawa station. The hours are from 11 am till 6 pm, except on Jan 10 when the venue will close at 5 pm. Entrance is free.
(This article was translated from an asahi.com article.)
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1223/TKY200512230268.html
Posted by THINK at 02:43 AM
December 29, 2005
Greetings
Thank you for visiting THINK News Updates.
Due to the absence of the editor there will be no posting until January 3, 2006. Please check Google and/or AltaVista news sites for news during this period.
Happy New Year!
With sincere wishes for the return of every kidnap victim in 2006,
The editor, THINK.
(Jan 7, 2006 - - I've come back and updated news entries between Dec 27 and Jan 7.)
Posted by THINK at 01:19 PM
August 19, 2005
IMPORTANT: WE HAVE MOVED
The THINK website has been moved to http://trycomp.oc.to/THINK/.
Please change your bookmark to the new URL. The old URL (http://trycomp.swee.to/THINK) will not be accessible after August 31, 2005.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
Editor-in-Chief, THINK
Posted by THINK at 02:43 AM
July 26, 2005
Apologies
Due to circumstances, there will be no updating between July 27 and 30. Please come back after July 31 for more news on North Korea's kidnapping of Japanese citizens. Thank you.
-- Editor-in-Chief, THINK
(Aug 1, 2005 - - I've come back and updated news entries between July 27 and 31.)
Posted by THINK at 11:18 PM
June 26, 2005
I sat in
On Saturday, June 25, I sat in from 2 PM to 5 PM. Sitting quietly in front of Diet members' office buildings in central Tokyo were people of all ages and professions. Everyone gathered for just one aim: to get every single victim of abduction by North Korea back to their homes in Japan.
Family members of the victims went from one end of the line to the other, thanking the participants for their support. In the 30+C (90+F) summer heat, they looked so small and old. Many of them are in their 70's and 80's. How long more would they have to wait to see their kidnapped children again? Would they be around when and if finally the victims come back?
We don't have much time.
-- Editor-in-chief, THINK
I sat here on the pavement with 400+ people appealing to cars and people passing by. (Photograph courtesy of Mr. Mizunoo of Protect X website)
Posted by THINK at 02:58 AM
June 24, 2005
Sit-in to be held in front of PM's Office: June 24-26
Kazoku Kai (Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea) and Sukuukai (National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea) will hold a sit-in near the Prime Minister's Office to demand economic sanctions against North Korea. Details are as follows:
[Date/time]
.. Friday, June 24: 10 AM- 3 PM
.. Saturday, June 25: 1 PM-5 PM
.. Sunday, June 26: 1 PM-5 PM
.. (& public meetings at Seiryo Kaikan on Sat and Sun at 6 PM )
[Place]
.. Near the PM's Official Residence (In front of the
.. Diet Member's Office Building),
.. Subway Kokkai Gijido and Nagatacho stations
.. [map]
Family members and support group members will gather from across Japan and take part in the sit-in. Anyone can drop by and quietly join the action. Come and show that you care!
--Editor-in-chief, THINK
----------
Background Reading:
"On 24 June 2005, a three day "sit-in" will commence in front of the offices of the Japanese Prime Minister, organized not by a radical leftist group but by some of Japan's most famous and respected citizens and enjoying powerful backing in the National Diet and media, to demand the imposition of immediate economic sanctions against North Korea. Only by such means, the organizers argue, can North Korea be forced to return Japanese citizens they believe are still being held in North Korea against their will. As of that date, it will be six months since Prime Minister Koizumi declared, in December 2004, that the explanation thus far offered of the abductions by North Korea was unsatisfactory and false, in particular that the cremated human remains offered as evidence of the death of the most famous of the abductee victims, Yokota Megumi (on whom see below), were in fact not hers. The Japanese government therefore and promised "stern measures" unless Pyongyang responded "promptly and sincerely" to set matters right, and the sit-in will demand immediate recourse to these "stern" measures. More than five million people have signed a petition to that effect, and a meeting in Tokyo's Hibiya in April 2005 to promote this cause drew 6,000 people. The leaders, including the parents of Yokota Megumi, are household figures, regulars on major television channels. Their patience is exhausted, they say, and their anger at Koizumi's refusal to do as they demand, or even to meet with them and hear their demands, is at high pitch. If still not satisfied, they promise to renew their "sit-in" in July and subsequent months, and to expand it around the country."
(by Gavan McCormack, Znet, June 13, 2005. [Full text])
Posted by THINK at 04:18 AM
April 24, 2005
7th National Rally to Be Held April 24
National Rally for the Rescue of Abductees will be held on April 24, 2005, in Tokyo's Hibiya Kokaido hall.
Kazoku Kai (Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea) and the Sukuukai (National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea) together with the Parliamentary League to Rescue Japanese Nationals Abducted by North Korea will hold the 7th national rally to demand the goverment to impose economic sanctions against North Korea. Members of these groups including Shigeru Yokota and other family members of the abduction victims will speak out to the public.
Come and show that you care!
When: Sunday, April 24, 2005 2P.M.-5P.M. (Doors open at 1P.M.)
Where: Hibiya Kokaido Hall (Kasumigaseki or Uchi-Saiwai Tokyo Metro stations)
[map]
Admission: Free (Donations are welcome.)
Posted by THINK at 01:01 AM
February 13, 2005
Apologies
The editor apologizes for the delay in updating this site.
Postings will resume as soon as the editor finds some time to do so.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Posted by THINK at 04:44 PM | TrackBack
December 30, 2004
Greetings
Thank you for visiting THINK News Updates.
Due to the absence of the editor there will be no posting until January 3, 2005. Please check Google and/or AltaVista sites for news during this period.
Happy New Year!
With sincere wishes for the return of every kidnap victim in 2005,
The editor, THINK.
Posted by THINK at 04:02 PM | TrackBack
December 11, 2004
Update completed
News entries between November 29 and December 10 are now updated. Please read and catch up. Thanks for your patience!
Posted by THINK at 04:05 AM | TrackBack
December 09, 2004
Show your rage!
National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea(Sukuu Kai, or NARKN) and the family members of abduction victims are asking everyone to please write to Prime Minister Koizumi and tell him what you want him to do.
The Japanese government website has forms at:
http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/forms/goiken.html (Japanese)
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment.html (English)
The editor will write and tell him it's about time he showed some anger towards NK, that it's no time for "dialogue". He says he will continue to communicate with the Stalinist nation and hope to see some sincerity from the counterpart. But is that really effective? A sincere nation does not return to long awaiting families remains of some unknown deceased saying that they are those of victims they themselves have kidnapped years ago. We've had enough. He must stop expecting any truth to come out from NK. Time has come for him to apply "pressure" to the liar's country.
Posted by THINK at 08:35 PM | TrackBack
Apologies
The editor apologizes for the delay in updating the site.
News entries including those covering the release of Mr. Jenkins, the return of the Sogas to Sado, the confirmation of "Megumi's remains" being fake, and the nation's growing rage will be posted in a few hours. Please come back later to learn more. Thank you.