He criticized the Japanese government for such persistent discrimination policy against the Koreans' schools as exclusion of them from the "tuition-free program for senior high schools." The United Nations, too, has recommended stopping such discrimination. I feel so shameful about this when I think that the Korean government took care of the Japanese and their schools soon after Japan's defeat in the Second World War, he said.

According to him, Sato had lived in Pyongyang for 12 years until July 1948 after immigration to Korea with his family in 1936 when he was four years old.

At that time, all industrial sectors of Korea were under the control of Japanese due to the aftermath of the Japanese imperialists' harsh colonial rule. In this regard, the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea took a measure to employ the Korea-resident Japanese technicians at industrial establishments. Sato's father, who served in mining business, was allowed to remain in Korea as a metallurgist.

Such Japanese technicians were paid high wages and supplied even with dwelling houses and daily necessities ranging from liquor and tobacco to clothes in Korea. Its government covered the school fees and even traffic fees for their children studying at Japanese schools.

"I am very thankful to the DPRK government for its humanitarian measure whereby I could visit my ancestor's grave." Sato said.

Hoping that the Japan-DPRK relations would be normalized as soon as possible, he said, "Pyongyang is my dear second hometown. I want to go there again when an opportunity comes."