Japanese Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed Sunday -Kyodo

Grok Headline matches for Japanese Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed Sunday -Kyodo

Two More Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq
(AP)

Two More Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq
(AP) 04/17/2004 06:05 PM

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Japanese hostages freed in Iraq

Japanese hostages freed in Iraq 04/17/2004 08:39 AM
Iraqi militants free two Japanese hostages, a day after a US soldier is shown on video with armed kidnappers.

Last Two Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq
(AP)

Last Two Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq
(AP) 04/17/2004 03:36 AM
AP - Two remaining Japanese hostages in Iraq have been released, Arab TV stations reported Saturday, two days after three other Japanese were freed.

Three Japanese hostages in Iraq freed

Three Japanese hostages in Iraq freed 04/15/2004 10:31 AM

Japanese hostages in Iraq freed

Japanese hostages in Iraq freed 04/15/2004 09:08 AM

Three Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq; Italian Captive Killed

via Al

Two Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq,
Falluja Calm

Two Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq,
Falluja Calm 04/17/2004 04:41 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 17 2004 7:44PM GMT

Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq, Iranian
Killed (Reuters)

Japanese Hostages Freed in Iraq, Iranian
Killed (Reuters) 04/15/2004 11:49 PM
Reuters - Three freed Japanese hostages were due to leave Iraq on Friday but the murders of an Iranian diplomat and an Italian captive were chilling proof of the risks foreigners face as rebels battle the U.S.-led occupation.

Freed Japanese Hostages Arrive in Dubai
from Iraq (Reuters)

Freed Japanese Hostages Arrive in Dubai
from Iraq (Reuters) 04/16/2004 06:17 AM
Reuters - Three freed Japanese hostages arrived in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Friday from Baghdad after being released by their Iraqi captors.

Negotiator Tells Japan Hostages Safe in
Iraq-Kyodo

Negotiator Tells Japan Hostages Safe in
Iraq-Kyodo 04/11/2004 03:51 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 11 2004 7:39PM GMT

Three Japanese Hostages Freed, Safe But
Shaken

Three Japanese Hostages Freed, Safe But
Shaken 04/15/2004 10:14 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 15 2004 1:46PM GMT

Chilly reception for freed Japanese
hostages

Chilly reception for freed Japanese
hostages 04/23/2004 04:24 PM

Japanese Hostages Safe in Iraq -
Japanese Media (Reuters)

Japanese Hostages Safe in Iraq -
Japanese Media (Reuters) 04/11/2004 12:20 AM
Reuters - Three Japanese civilians kidnapped in Iraq were safe near Falluja on Sunday, Japanese TV said. Government officials could not confirm the report.

Japanese Hostages Safe in Iraq -
Japanese Media

Japanese Hostages Safe in Iraq -
Japanese Media 04/11/2004 06:50 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 11 2004 10:50AM GMT

Jordanian hostages freed in Iraq

Jordanian hostages freed in Iraq 08/04/2004 02:39 AM
Four Jordanian lorry drivers are released unharmed after locals raided a house they were being kept in.

Foreign hostages freed in Iraq

Foreign hostages freed in Iraq 04/16/2004 12:54 PM
A number of foreign hostages are released in Iraq, but a Dane and a US man are reportedly captured.

Two Turkish Hostages Freed in Iraq (AP)

Two Turkish Hostages Freed in Iraq (AP) 07/02/2004 05:10 AM
AP - Iraqi insurgents on Friday freed two Turkish hostages whose company had reportedly promised to stop working with the U.S. miltary in Iraq to with their release.

Four Jordanian Hostages in Iraq Said
Freed (AP)

Four Jordanian Hostages in Iraq Said
Freed (AP) 08/04/2004 02:58 AM
AP - Four Jordanians held hostage in Iraq have been freed, the brother of one of them said Wednesday.

U.S. General in Iraq Says Hostages Freed
(AP)

U.S. General in Iraq Says Hostages Freed
(AP) 06/08/2004 10:28 AM
AP - Coalition forces freed Italian and Polish hostages in bloodless military operation south of Baghdad on Tuesday, the top U.S. general in Iraq said.

Diplomat Killed in Iraq; 3 Hostages
Freed (AP)

Diplomat Killed in Iraq; 3 Hostages
Freed (AP) 04/15/2004 07:52 PM
AP - Gunmen assassinated an Iranian diplomat in Baghdad on Thursday just as Iran, with tacit U.S. approval, attempted to mediate with a radical Shiite cleric defying American forces in this southern Iraqi city.

Japan PM Seen Buoyed After Iraq Hostages
Freed

Japan PM Seen Buoyed After Iraq Hostages
Freed 04/18/2004 04:40 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 18 2004 7:48AM GMT

France Hopes Iraq Hostages Will Be Freed
Soon

France Hopes Iraq Hostages Will Be Freed
Soon 09/04/2004 10:10 AM
Reuters via Wired News Sep 4 2004 1:34PM GMT

Four Jordanian Hostages, Two Turks Freed
in Iraq (Reuters)

Four Jordanian Hostages, Two Turks Freed
in Iraq (Reuters) 08/04/2004 06:24 AM
Reuters - Four Jordanian hostages were freed by Iraqi gunmen who raided their captors' hide-out, one of the released captives said on Wednesday, while a video from kidnappers said two Turkish hostages had also been released.

Kuwait Firm Assured Iraq Hostages Will
Be Freed

Kuwait Firm Assured Iraq Hostages Will
Be Freed 07/25/2004 03:53 PM
Reuters via Wired News Jul 25 2004 7:40PM GMT

Russians Are Latest Iraq Hostages,
Chinese Freed

Russians Are Latest Iraq Hostages,
Chinese Freed 04/12/2004 08:52 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 13 2004 0:08AM GMT

"U.S. Special Forces freed Italian
hostages in Iraq"

"U.S. Special Forces freed Italian
hostages in Iraq" 06/12/2004 08:34 PM

Kuwait Firm Assured Iraq Hostages Will
Be Freed (Reuters)

Kuwait Firm Assured Iraq Hostages Will
Be Freed (Reuters) 07/25/2004 02:14 PM
Reuters - The Kuwaiti employer of seven foreign hostages in Iraq said on Sunday they had assurances that the captives would be freed.

Russians Are Latest Iraq Hostages,
Chinese Freed (Reuters)

Russians Are Latest Iraq Hostages,
Chinese Freed (Reuters) 04/12/2004 11:16 PM
Reuters - Eleven Russian civilians were the latest foreigners reported kidnapped in Iraq and three Japanese were still missing on Tuesday, but China's official Xinhua news agency said seven Chinese had been freed.

Iraq Council Member Hopeful Hostages
Will Be Freed (Reuters)

Iraq Council Member Hopeful Hostages
Will Be Freed (Reuters) 04/12/2004 08:51 AM
Reuters - A member of Iraq's Governing Council said on Monday that 12 hostages had been freed and he hoped all remaining hostages would be freed later in the day.

Freed From Captivity in Iraq, Japanese
Return to More Pain

Freed From Captivity in Iraq, Japanese
Return to More Pain 04/23/2004 04:02 AM
The young Japanese taken hostage in Iraq returned home to a disapproving nation. The three have gone into hiding, effectively becoming prisoners in their own homes.

Two Japanese Hostages Released in Iraq

Two Japanese Hostages Released in Iraq 04/17/2004 10:06 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 17 2004 1:35PM GMT

Two Japanese Hostages Released in Iraq
(Reuters)

Two Japanese Hostages Released in Iraq
(Reuters) 04/17/2004 07:38 AM
Reuters - Two Japanese hostages were released in the Iraqi capital Saturday, saying they had been moved from house to house during their three days in captivity but had been treated fairly well.

Reaction of Japan to the Japanese
Hostages in Iraq

Reaction of Japan to the Japanese
Hostages in Iraq 04/30/2004 03:22 AM

Several people have asked me to comment on an article in the NYT about the reaction of to the Japanese people to the three Japanese taken hostage in Iraq. The article describes how everyone including the politicians in Japan are angry at the hostages for causing trouble to the Japanese government and being irresponsible.

There are many conflicting reports about whether they were reckless or not and what their motives were so I won't comment on that. I also don't feel strongly personally on this issue so I'm not going to make a judgmental point either. What I would like to describe is a bit more background on how Japanese think about responsibility and apologies.

I think one of the things that made many Japanese I know upset were the parents of the hostages making public statements about how the government should help get the hostages back without apologizing first about causing trouble for the government. Even if they didn't believe it, it would be proper Japanese etiquette to say this first. It's quite cliche, but it's true that if you get into an automobile accident in Japan, even if you think it's probably the other person's fault, you apologize first. Japanese are warned not to do this in the US because apologizes imply responsibility. In many cases, apologies in Japan are a formality and skipping them is rather rude. I think many people thought these parents were "rude" on a national scale. Another example of a throw-away apology is that when you ask for a waiter in a restaurant, you say, "I'm sorry... or excuse me." We often apologize profusely when in doubt or are requesting any kind of favor.

An important psychological element is that even though we are individuals, we often represent the group. I have something like 16 or so generations before me on my gravestone and I often feel like a mere blip in the history of my family. Taking risk or tainting my family name is not something that I can freely do without feeling the guilt and responsibility to my ancestors.

It's also interesting to note that most Japanese children's cartoons have story lines where they are a team. Often one of the members get in trouble or drop out of the group and the whole show is about how the group tries to help the drop out get back in tune with the group. It's usually the group saving the single "problem" member. On the other hand, many American cartoons are super-heros who are independent and save the world through taking risk and being different. I know I'm generalizing here, but people who watch a lot of Japanese TV will understand what I'm saying I think.

I once talked to one of the directors of the Sumo Wrestling association. She said she always had a great deal of difficulty explaining one of the core principles of Sumo to foreigners. Sumo wrestlers are not supposed to show anguish when they lose or happiness when they win. They are to be emotionless and stoic. "Like a rooster carved out of wood," she said. This is a very central theme to many of Japanese aesthetics. This Japanese stoicism is central to much of the Japanese lack of sympathy to heroics, I think.

Although I understand what the NYT article is saying and I don't necessarily agree with the way the hostages are being treated and picked on right now, I think that lack of initial apologies and the feeling of Japanese to heroics in Japan is behind the reaction. Having said that, I think this attitude is what is hampering Japan's entrepreneurism as well as Japan's ability to participate as a leader in global affairs. It's a fairly deeply rooted cultural theme that won't change very easily though.

As usual, I'm happy to hear dissenting opinions.

Japanese hostages threatened with
cannibalism in Iraq

Japanese hostages threatened with
cannibalism in Iraq 04/09/2004 03:56 PM

The Japanese news has been suppressing the more vivid videos of the hostage situation in Iraq and continue the "we are not pulling out" line. One piece of news that even the West seems to be suppressing is that the Japanese hostages are being threatened with cannibalism.

Reuters

"We tell you that three of your children have fallen prisoner in our hands and we give you two options -- withdraw your forces from our country and go home or we will burn them alive and feed them to the fighters," the group said.

Most reports are saying "killed" or "burned alive".

via The Command Post

More Hostages Held in Iraq, Deadline for
Japanese (Reuters)

More Hostages Held in Iraq, Deadline for
Japanese (Reuters) 04/10/2004 12:48 PM
Reuters - More foreigners were reported missing or seized as hostages in Iraq Saturday after a spate of kidnappings, which included three Japanese civilians under threat of being killed Sunday.

Italians embrace freed hostages

Italians embrace freed hostages 06/09/2004 06:02 AM
Three Italians kidnapped in Iraq almost two months ago return to Italy after being rescued by special forces.

Japanese hostages 'to be freed'

Japanese hostages 'to be freed' 04/10/2004 08:31 PM

Japan ese hostages 'to be freed' - BBCi

Iraqi group to free Japanese hostages - Aljazeera

The Japanese hostages in Iraq are supposed to be freed in a few hours. I'm watching the TV news for more information now.

Japanese hostages 'freed'

Japanese hostages 'freed' 04/15/2004 07:34 AM
Three Japanese civilians taken hostage in Iraq last week are reported to have been freed unharmed.

Japanese ex-hostages billed $21,000 for
travel expenses

Japanese ex-hostages billed $21,000 for
travel expenses 04/26/2004 02:24 PM

For Japanese Hostages, Release Only Adds
to Stress

For Japanese Hostages, Release Only Adds
to Stress 04/22/2004 08:10 PM
The young Japanese taken hostage in Iraq returned home this week, not to the warmth of a yellow ribbon embrace but to a disapproving nation's cold stare.
Grok Description matches for Japanese Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed Sunday -Kyodo
GrokA matches for Japanese Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed Sunday -Kyodo

Japanese Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed Sunday -Kyodo

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