Beheaded Japanese hostage found

King of Tokyo

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Japan's Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura has confirmed a headless body found Saturday in Baghdad is that of Japanese hostage Shosei Koda.

Koda was kidnapped Tuesday, and his captors threatened the next day to behead him unless Japan pulled its troops out of Iraq.

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This is sad news. What do you think of Koizumi's choice to not pull out the troops? Would you have made the same decision or a different one?
 
In any case (for the sake of argument), yes, I would do the same.

If you start giving in to demands like these you're telling the terrorists they can win a war against you just by capturing one of your men.

As sad as it is, I would never give in to terrorist demands like these.

If I were the one sitting there, I would ofcourse hope my country would give in to the demands, but I would never expect it.
 
I believe these were two separate bodies, Maciamo's stories actually being the first case, but yes I concur with Japan's decision not to pull its 'troops' as well.
 
For that matter, Koda wasn't even supposed to be there. He was a "tourist," not a soldier. I'm sorry for the what happened to him, but he shouldn't have been there in the first place.
 
who the *bleep* goes to a country ravaged by war as a tourist?

probably went there as one of those dumb human shields I saw on teevee. they'd go to Iraq and stand on rooftops so the american bombers *might* decide not to drop bombs on that particular place.

then they get all prissy when one of them dies. I wonder how THAT happened?
 
He was/is there as a backpacker...seems to me that you could find a better place to go hiking!

*edit* it just went over the radio that the Japanese Gov't confirmed that the body found was the body of the Japanese hostage.
 
He was making a worldjourney (sekai no ryokou), and when he got to the safe zone, he was told DOZENS of times NOT to go in there, but the stubborn idiotic student decided to go anyways...and this happened as a result, now there are rumors saying he wanted to commit suicide(jisatsu),but these are rumours ofcourse ☝
 
I don't understand, why he had to be there, THIS TIME!? He was supposed to be doing this working-holiday in New Zealand. And after stayin in Israel for 2 months (it was good he didn't die in Israel...cuz some reports or information says he was in Tel Aviv!!) And finally he somehow managed to get into Iraq with...$100? only.
 
I think situations like this do have a big effect on the Japanese population. Japanese lives are usually so peaceful, that such terrible things seem almost beyond their comprehension. Many of them already fear traveling because they think the world is such a dangerous place compared to Japan. Now they'll be afraid to go anywhere because they'll get their heads chopped off. I'm not saying that these are rational fears, but everytime something scary happened in the news while I was in Japan, there would always be a few (J) students who became overly concearned and fearful about it.

But I think it's good that Japan didn't yield to the demands of these terrorists. Doing so would only promote more terrorism in the future.
 
I read that he passed up $2 taxi ride out of the area where he was abducted because he thought it was too expensive. How anyone could confirm that, I have no idea.
 
openup said:
I don't understand, why he had to be there, THIS TIME!? He was supposed to be doing this working-holiday in New Zealand. And after stayin in Israel for 2 months (it was good he didn't die in Israel...cuz some reports or information says he was in Tel Aviv!!) And finally he somehow managed to get into Iraq with...$100? only.

There are some people who like living on the edge because of their adventurous behaviour - I personally can't understand this "way of living" either....I prefer not going to war-zones for holidays, like most "normal" people.

I have an aquaintance who went to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem last year (for 3 months) because he is an adventurous person, and he also drives like he is Michael Schumacher - I never want to sit in a car when he is driving....yes, he is one of those "taking chances, and living on the edge persons" - maybe like the Japanese tourist in Iraq, who lost his life.

Friends tried to talk my acquaintance out of going to Jerusalem, but not Tel Aviv, but he did not care. (In fact he did not tell his parents that he was going to Jerusalem, only Tel Aviv). Anyway, he is back in Denmark, safe, but still drives like s%#!
 
Brooker said:
I think situations like this do have a big effect on the Japanese population. Japanese lives are usually so peaceful, that such terrible things seem almost beyond their comprehension. Many of them already fear traveling because they think the world is such a dangerous place compared to Japan. Now they'll be afraid to go anywhere because they'll get their heads chopped off. I'm not saying that these are rational fears, but everytime something scary happened in the news while I was in Japan, there would always be a few (J) students who became overly concearned and fearful about it.

But I think it's good that Japan didn't yield to the demands of these terrorists. Doing so would only promote more terrorism in the future.

with that eleven year old girl slitting her friends throat and what-not, I'm almost scared of going to Japan :p
 
TwistedMac said:
with that eleven year old girl slitting her friends throat and what-not, I'm almost scared of going to Japan :p

When you go to Japan you plan on hanging out with eleven-year old girls? Can't say I'm surprised.. Heh.

And yeah I agree withe the guy being foolish to even be there. You couldn't pay me to visit Iraq. They'd just love to grab my Canadian self and behead me on live television. Fun for the whole family!
 
...please ! ... Can't you all see..????!!

You all don't understand why he's been there , why can't you see the Japanese spirit and stubornness ? The thing we always see in the anime .. ??
For whatever he's been there , he was there for a very human reason. I praise his being as a courage and not stupidity or idiotness . And , seeing him die this way should be a tragic to all of us . Afterall , he symbols a part of each and every of our's nature and being. And seeing him end this way...
And because he stuck with his desire we are now accusing him of committing suicide?? This is dumb lame ..

I almost can't believe this has happened. I really hate those stupid captors!!!
And now becuase I'm an Arab , I kinda feel guilty too.. :(

I hope my Japanese friends won't hate me ... when I heard the news I couldn't get myself to look them in the eyes ..
 
Suki-Yaki said:
...please ! ... Can't you all see..????!!

You all don't understand why he's been there , why can't you see the Japanese spirit and stubornness ? The thing we always see in the anime .. ??
For whatever he's been there , he was there for a very human reason. I praise his being as a courage and not stupidity or idiotness . And , seeing him die this way should be a tragic to all of us . Afterall , he symbols a part of each and every of our's nature and being. And seeing him end this way...
And because he stuck with his desire we are now accusing him of committing suicide?? This is dumb lame ..
Are 'spirit' and 'stubborness' words his friends and the Japanese media have been using ? Here's an article from people who should know, stressing Koda's kindness, gentle nature and passionate desire to help people, selflessly, in desperate circumstances. Not being a big fan, but still slightly at odds with most anime I've seen....:eek:

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1101/001.html
 
openup said:
And after stayin in Israel for 2 months (it was good he didn't die in Israel...cuz some reports or information says he was in Tel Aviv!!)

What's so dangerous about Tel Aviv ? It's the largest Israeli city and it's far from the tension front, contrarily to Jerusalem/Ramalah or Palestinian cities like Gaza or Hebron. Anyway, Israel is not dangerous for tourists (and I have been there myself).

Brooker said:
I think situations like this do have a big effect on the Japanese population. Japanese lives are usually so peaceful, that such terrible things seem almost beyond their comprehension.

Well, maybe they don't read the weekly magazines with evil murder stories, gang rape, voluntary teenage prostitution from age 12, or people commiting suicide or moving abroad because of yakuza harassment. You can sample some (mind you, there are too many!) of these stories translated in English on the Mainichi online

Anyway, I was surprise by checking the headlines on TV and all the main newspaper (Asahi, Yomiuri...) that the Japanese seem to care much more about this beheaded hostage than about Bin Laden's video (not even mentioned!), the new EU Commission or the US presidential election. As long as there something about Japan or Japanese, they forget completely about the rest of the world. So narrow-minded. :eek:

And by checking the Mainici top news in the above link, you'll see that there are many more shocking news than the beheading of a backpacker in Iraq ("Psycho mom tosses disabled daughter off condo", "Bodies found in car linked to schoolboy's death", "Oh Brother! Man leaves sibling's rotting body in apartment for 1 year", just to take 3 out of September's top 10). So this beheading news is really a pretext to to talk about more important news. Or it's just that the average Japanese like this kind of news (given the dozens of weekly magazines treating such domestic scandal stories).
 
remember this...

I think situations like this do have a big effect on the Japanese population. Japanese lives are usually so peaceful, that such terrible things seem almost beyond their comprehension.
No, our lives are in danger all the time. There are lots of crimes, murders happening everyday within Japan, and I'm sure, those are much much more shocking than this case in Iraq.

Now they'll be afraid to go anywhere because they'll get their heads chopped off.
Throughout our histories...we Japanese used to do it almost, until about 100 years ago, or wait, those Japanese troops (not the SDF) were killing other Asians during the war period... (sorry, being off topic a bit here)

:(

What's so dangerous about Tel Aviv ? It's the largest Israeli city and it's far from the tension front, contrarily to Jerusalem/Ramalah or Palestinian cities like Gaza or Hebron.
What I was saying was that there are terrorists attacks, suicide bombings happening in Tel Aviv recently. And I think, even far from the front, there'll still be dangers.

It was nice of him to participate in such actions to save those people, and concern the lives in Iraq. But a man of 24 years, should have known the reality.

I have an aquaintance who went to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem last year (for 3 months) because he is an adventurous person, and he also drives like he is Michael Schumacher - I never want to sit in a car when he is driving....
Oh..I wouldn't wanna be around him... Good luck to you!! :p
 
The main reality he should have known is that the people who captured him would be be persuaded to release him based on his personal beliefs, actions, or motives.
 
not like...

The main reality he should have known is that the people who captured him would be be persuaded to release him based on his personal beliefs, actions, or motives.
Those terrorists would never listen to him... :(
 
Japanese hostage found dead in Iraq

nn20041101a1a-1.webp

A five-day hostage crisis ended in tragedy Sunday as the government said a decapitated body found in Baghdad earlier in the day was that of Shosei Koda, a 24-year-old Japanese taken captive by a militant group in Iraq last week.
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This really sucks.. It's even sadder now to see a normal picture of him..
 
Anyway, I was surprise by checking the headlines on TV and all the main newspaper (Asahi, Yomiuri...) that the Japanese seem to care much more about this beheaded hostage than about Bin Laden's video (not even mentioned!)
One missing Bin Laden story....although that last paragraph introducing him to the Japanese people and repeating again that he was the mastermind of the 2001 attacks (which had just been claimed in the translation) makes it pretty clear the reader isn't expected to bring any prior knowledge to this, uh, 'suspect'. 😊

http://www.asahi.com/international/update/1030/004.html
 
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