Japanese citizen Masanori Katsuki, 68, was suspected of having been abducted by North Korea after he went missing in Tokyo in February 1985, according to Metropolitan Police Department.
Shortly before that he returned from the US where he worked as a sushi chief. At the moment of his alleged abduction he was preparing to leave for the United States again, according according to a report by Kyodo news citing Japanese officials.
In November 2003, Special Investigative Committee disclosed his name and personal data saying they “cannot rule out that the man may have been abducted by North Korea,” Yomiuri newspaper reported.
During the investigation the Committee found Masanori Katsuki alive in Japan at the end of November. The police have not disclosed any details, including where Katsuki was found, for privacy reasons, the reports say.
With the discovery of Katsuki, the number of missing people categorized as possible victims of North Korean abduction stands at 883, according to the National Police Agency.
Japan has repeadly called on North Korea to release its hostages, believing that hundreds more may have been abducted.
The motives behind the abductions are not clear. However, according to local media reports, the Japanese were reported to have been abducted and used as language and culture teachers for North Korean spy organizations.
