The mother of a Japanese woman who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 has reiterated her plea to the government, urging decisive action to bring her daughter back home.

Yokota Sakie, aged 87, held a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the third anniversary of her husband's death in June.

Her late husband, Shigeru, served as the first representative of the group of families of Japanese nationals who were kidnapped by North Korean agents. He died in 2020 at the age of 87 without the opportunity to be reunited with his daughter, Megumi.

Sakie spoke to reporters while sitting beside a photo of Shigeru. The photo is usually displayed in her living room. She said she sets a cup of hot tea before it and engages in quiet conversation with her husband every morning.

She revealed that she was hospitalized earlier this year and was confronted with the possibility of her own death.

She said illness and death are inevitable as people age, which has further reinforced her commitment over the decades to urge the government for a swift resolution of the abduction issue.

She voiced her inability to understand why the Japanese government has not taken bolder action against the abductions, which she described as unreasonable acts.

Her daughter, Megumi, was abducted in November 1977 at the age of 13. Her safety has not been confirmed.

Sakie said Megumi and the other abductees must be returned. She called for an early summit between Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

She expressed hope that Kishida will persist in proposing negotiations to Kim. She said the two leaders can only discern each other's true intentions when they come together and meet eye-to-eye.

Japan's government says North Korean agents abducted at least 17 citizens in the 1970s and 1980s. The whereabouts of 12 remain unknown.