Time is running out for the family members of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean spies, and with many advanced in age, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida appears to be feeling greater pressure than ever to resolve the decades-old issue with Pyongyang and repatriate any survivors.

Kishida in recent months has pushed for a summit with Kim Jong Un at an “early date,” referring to the abductions as a “time-sensitive human rights issue.” Political calculations are likely a factor as he struggles with mediocre public support.

PreviousJapanese leaders have called for high-level meetings “without preconditions” in the past to