Six offspring of Japanese radicals wanted in the 1970 hijacking of a Japan Airlines jetliner to Pyongyang have arrived in Japan, coming from North Korea via Beijing.
The six, in their late teens and early 20s, were born in North Korea and grew up there.
They arrived Tuesday evening on a JAL flight at Narita airport after having their identities confirmed by Japanese Embassy staff earlier at Beijing airport.
"I'm glad to be going to Japan, but I think the hardships are about to begin," said Aki Shibata, 23, the younger daughter of Megumi Yao, former wife of one of the hijackers.
Yao filed a lawsuit in Japan seeking the release of the offspring, saying they were being held hostage by North Korea.
The other five are Yoko Uomoto, the 21-year-old daughter of Kimihiro Uomoto, and Uomoto's 19-year-old son; Taishi Tamiya, the 20-year-old son of the late Takamaro Tamiya, leader of the hijackers; Chisato Okamoto, 22, daughter of the late hijacker Takeshi Okamoto; and the 17-year-old daughter of Yoshimi Tanaka, who returned to Japan and is serving a prison sentence for the hijacking.
The hijackers, who belonged to the Red Army Faction, took the JAL plane with 138 people on board to Pyongyang in March 1970 and were granted political asylum in North Korea.
Two groups of relatives of the hijackers had come to Japan earlier. The six who arrived Tuesday are said to be planning to live with their relatives and siblings.
In May 2001, three daughters of the hijackers, including a daughter of Tamiya, resettled in Japan. After that, two wives and five other children of the hijackers came to Japan.
The wife of Kimihiro Uomoto, Tamiko, who is on an international wanted list for alleged passport law violation, is expected to return to Japan in February.
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