Protest Japanese Abductions Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story in Los Angeles, California Hollywood Arc Light Cinema Los Angeles, California, USA August 18 - 24, 2006
Download and Distribute Flyer and Letters to Politicians

On August 18 and 20 2006 left-behind parents protested against the hypocrisy of Japan's repeated calls for justice in Megumi Yokota's case at the Arc Light Cinema in Los Angeles   We called for the Japanese government to return children abducted to Japan, to extradite all Japanese citizens wanted for international child abduction and to sign the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

We were there every day handing out flyers, but the following two days had a full protest with signs.

Friday August 18 schedule (Opening Day)

Sunday August 20 schedule (Dignitaries Day)

Akie Abe, the woman who is considered to be the next First Lady of Japan (her husband is Shinzo Abe running for Prime Minister), will be attending, as will the Consul General from LA and other dignitaries.  Numerous Japanese press will be here today.

If you plan to attend, please contact the organizers by email at megumiyokota (AT] crnjapan.com and for further details on guidelines for conduct, places you will allowed to picket, etc.  Signs that meet local regulations for construction, and so we really needs to know in advance if you will attend.

This event is supported by the Japan Children's Rights Network.

Results

Friday - Day One.  The organizer, left behind parent Eric, was interviewed by a number of Japanese media as was Patrick, another left behind LA parent, a pair of left behind grandparents of a child in Osaka, another left-behind grandmother and a left behind brother too. People-wise, we had between 13 and 18 at various times.  With many signs in both Japanese and English we had a very respectable and obvious presence.   One left-behind parent with a child in the Philippines (another non-Hague country) who has been successful in getting onto talks and getting a lot of media publicity showed up in support.  Many discussions with protestors on how to garner media support. There were reporters from Fuji TV, TBS, NHK, Kyodo News, Yomiuri Shinbun and several of them brought film crews.  Later interviews were arranged with one Japanese media outlet and one US national media outlet.  

There were two crews filming for potential documentaries on the subject of Japanese parental abduction and the various problems with Japanese family law.  Perhaps we will one day soon have our own documentary.  You might think it would play about as well in Japan as The Megumi Yokota Story would play in North Korea.  But remember, there are many Japanese parents fighting for the same things that we are fighting for.  There will likely be stories of left-behind Japanese parents in these films also.  Tokyo International Film Festival watch out!

During the movie we put flyers on about 100 cars in the theatre's parking garage and we were able to hand flyers to a few people as they left.  Although we had been told we were not welcome on the private property, we took note of the exits for the future.  As the movie let out, we had a short discussion with the documentary directors, got contact information, and sent them an email explaining that we were not demonstrating against the film itself and that certainly none of us supported the actions of the North Korean government in any way shape or form. 

We learned that we don't need to show up too early before the event.  An hour at most.  A shorter event will make it easier for people to stay around for when the movie lets out also, although the extra time today was used well talking to the press.  (Our maximum protester count was before the show, after which some people left.  A longer protest also makes it hard on the grandparents.)

All in all a great day.  Thanks for making this happen Eric!

Saturday - Day Two.  Today, we handed out flyers at various nearby locations asking people to join us for the Dignitaries Day on Sunday.  After much thought, we realized that rather than web based advertising for this, we needed to use location based advertising to get people in the area who could make it more easily.  (Probably a no-brainer for hard core protesters, but this was our first, so we are learning.)  Craigslist is a good web based resource as would any local activity centric website.  So plaster the internet for overall publicity, but think local for attendees.  Go two levels out, and ask friends and relatives to tell friends and relatives.  There was also a brief impromptu meeting this afternoon between Patrick and the new Consul General Kazuo Kodama together with his wife . Our case was put forward at that time in hopes of the Kodamas' future assistance in resolving the problems faced by all parties involved in these abductions.  Although we had no signs today at the film, Patrick handed out flyers to nearly all movie goers as they left and was able to talk with a reporter from the Mainichi Shinbun for an extended period on site. 

We did make one minor change to our flyer today, deleting the claim that "Japan has no right to complain about North Korea" since of course they do.  North Korea committed just as serious a crime as that which we are protesting.  Instead, it now reads that "Japan's complaints are hypocritical...." which of course they are.

The CRN Japan website got its first piece of genuine anonymous hate mail late today, apparently from a Japanese American, who in addition to commenting on our relations with our mothers, skin color, and evolutionary predecessors, wanted to make sure we knew that "North korea has been abducting Japanese children for over 100 years" and that "the Japanese government has done everything in its power to help and get back these childrens [sic]."  (This person's comments make it sound like the text book revisionists in Japan are keeping busy both on pre- and post-WWII history, since (1) Japan occupied Korea early in the century (2) North Korea was founded in 1948, much less than 100 years ago and (3) one of the complaints by Megumi Yokota's parents is that despite their constant pleas and the evidence they had discovered, the Japanese government itself did nothing for 10 years.)   Keep 'em coming!!

Sunday - Day Three.  We were back out in force today, with both protesters and other activities and even have pictures!  Ed began the day with flyer distribution starting 3 hours before the protest and was "a bull dog" during the campaign itself.  Thanks Ed!  Along with the rest of the team, we distributed hundreds of  flyers to make the public aware of Japan's hypocrisy.  (Hypocrisy is a key word, as you will read in a moment.)  We had 8 to 10 protestors today.  The grandparents were back and we had a few new people show up in support of our cause.  It was a small but critical presence, as evidenced by the security guards who dropped by to make sure things would be calm and orderly.  As long as that was the case, we were assured, there would be no problems.  (Remember, today is Dignitaries Day.)  We explained that our signs were aggressive but we would remain calm.

Critically, the protest continued outside before and throughout the film, as Akie Abe, Cathy and Amy Eldon, and others arrived.  The Consul General was oddly missing today, but others showed up.  Patrick attended the film and was able to sit in the same row as Akie Abe.  He reports that the film is indeed powerfully emotional, even to a left-behind parent whose child was abducted by a Japanese citizen.  Its definitely something you should go see.

Afterwards, the directors had a short question and answer period that was filmed by about five media crews.  Toward the end, someone unaffiliated with us asked what the directors thought of the people outside protesting the movie.  Patty Kim explained that we are protesting the Japanese laws and have much in common with the left behind parents portrayed in the movie.  We were people who understand the issues of being left-behind, and she and Chris empathize with our problem. 

Patrick got the next question, and asked whether the directors thought there was any hypocrisy in the way the Japanese government was demanding justice for the Japanese parents, but would not help the parents of children abducted to Japan "like my daughter (holds up picture of daughter)."  The IDA moderator, somewhat surprised, had to ask that the question be repeated. 

Patty Kim answered that the situations of the families were very similar and aligned in some ways.   This was the last question.  As people left the theatre, Patrick was able to introduce himself to Akie Abe (wife of Shinzo Abe running for Prime Minister) and hand her a letter asking for her and her husband's support in cooperatively solving our problems.  She cordially accepted it but didn't speak a word during the exchange.... Yes, she may not have been happy with the attention our issues had just received, but the message got across.  The Abe's are on notice that the issues are linked and will not go away.  (Akie Abe's picture is at the left.  Source unknown)

On the way out, Patrick approached the moderator for a discussion.  She was sympathetic with our cause, but said that she felt that rather than using the word "hypocrisy," a more supportive approach toward the film would have been better.  Patrick told her that we support the message behind the film 100% because it will raise public awareness for the issues of international abduction and help the world see that these problems need resolution. But as a member of the IDA (International Documentary Association) you know that there is only so much time available to get across an important message.  We think we did.  Patrick handed out flyers to nearly everyone who saw the movie as they left.

Day Four - Patrick went to see the movie again, and handed out flyers to most of the audience on the way out.  Unfortunately the theatre manager noticed him today and escorted him out with a security guard.

Day Five - The show today was a late nighter, getting out around midnight.  We brought a camera man to film getting thrown out while distributing flyers, but there must have been a different manager on duty, as nothing happened.  Everyone got flyers as they left.

Day Six - They only sold about 35 seats in the movie today, but we gave flyers to most of the people on their way out.  No hassle from the security today either.  There is a Japanese reporter who has been there about four or five times.  Must be working on a story and Patrick has talked to her several times and will try to find out more.

Day Seven - We again got flyers to the approximately 45 movie goers on the last day.   Now everyone has to try to catch up on lost work.  But our publicist for the event is still working with the media contacts we made.  Congratulations and many thanks to everyone to attended and planned this event. 

We hope this protest will be one of many across the country.  Even if you are not willing to organize a full protest, just getting to one or two showings in your area and handing our flyers after the move can be very effective.  Please contact us by email at megumiyokota [AT) crnjapan.com if you are interested in doing this.

Mentions on the Internet

• Japanese abductees (James' Empty Blog) - actually mentioned long before the protest
• Protesters hit the Los Angeles theater showing documentary about Megumi Yokota kidnapping (Japan Probe)
• “Closer” and Its Political Significance : ハーグ国際児童拉致市民条約 (2 Cultures・２国)
• Angry Asian Man - August 28, 2006 entry
• protests in LA about the Megumi Yokota Documentary (Big Daikon)
• Incidents of abduction in the West.  (Japanese only) (( お父さん生きていたの　－ １６１日間の思い出 －　ＤＶ冤罪 と 不当な人身保護命令へ抗議する )
• Blowing in the Wind, In the USA: Abductions Rising; Mainichi Shinbun, Evening Edition; August 28, 2006.  A report from the protest in LA at the Megumi Yokota documentary.  (original is Japanese)
• 日本人によって拉致された外国人被害者がロスで抗議行動 (ＤＶ冤罪と闘う)  (Japanese only)
• Movie Review on New York Times website.

Notes

There are two other North Korea kidnap documentaries:

• Kidnapped! funded by the Australian Film Commission (cached copy)
• Until They Took Her Away

Japan plans to ask Interpol to get alleged N. Korean abductor; Kyodo News; August 1, 2002 (cached copy)