The government will pay travel and other expenses for repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga to reunite in a third country with her American husband and their two daughters, who are now in North Korea, a top spokesman said Friday.
Hiroyuki Hosoda, chief Cabinet secretary, told a regular news conference that the government is prepared to pay all costs, including accommodation and related expenses, for Soga to make the trip, possibly to a Chinese city.
"It is reasonable for the government to provide support for a family reunion as a decision (to arrange a reunion) was made during diplomatic discussions between the leaders of the states," Hosoda said.
He said the government has not decided whether to foot the bill for Charles Jenkins and the daughters, Mika and Belinda. He said it would depend on the venue and length of the reunion.
The Foreign Ministry plans to look Sunday for a Chinese city suitable for the reunion.
Seiken Sugiura, deputy chief Cabinet secretary, and Kyoko Nakayama, a special Cabinet Secretariat adviser to repatriated abductees, will visit Soga's home in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, on Sunday to ask her where she wants to meet her family.
Jenkins and the two daughters refused to travel to Japan with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi last Saturday when he visited Pyongyang for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.