Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

With more and more people shying away from traditional books in favor of shorter, easier-to-consume media, it stands to reason that manga have become a tool to reach young Japanese. Which is exactly the reasoning behind a new graphic rendering of the abduction of 13-year-old Megumi Yokota by North Korean agents in 1977. Published by the Niigata branch of the Junior Chamber International, Kazokuai (“Family Love”) is aimed at parents and young adults of the 40-and-under generation who may not be aware of the North Korean abduction issue. Five thousand copies of the manga will be distributed to public facilities in the area (the Yokotas were living in Niigata when Megumi disappeared), but the entire story can be found in PDF version on the Chamber’s website. Users are requested to complete a short online survey about the effectiveness of the manga’s message.

Kazokuai is available for download at www.meturl.com/jncin.