Whereabouts of Japan Hostages Unconfirmed-Envoy

Grok Headline matches for Whereabouts of Japan Hostages Unconfirmed-Envoy

Japan Hostage Whereabouts
Unconfirmed-Envoy

Japan Hostage Whereabouts
Unconfirmed-Envoy 04/11/2004 06:50 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 11 2004 10:50AM GMT

Japan Envoy Seeks Rescue of Iraq
Hostages

Japan Envoy Seeks Rescue of Iraq
Hostages 04/10/2004 01:01 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 10 2004 4:43AM GMT

Japan Envoy Seeks Rescue of Iraq
Hostages (Reuters)

Japan Envoy Seeks Rescue of Iraq
Hostages (Reuters) 04/09/2004 11:47 PM
Reuters - A senior Japanese official headed emergency meetings in Amman on Saturday to coordinate efforts to rescue three nationals kidnapped in Iraq, officials said.

Cheney Vows U.S. Aid for Japan Hostages
(AP)

Cheney Vows U.S. Aid for Japan Hostages
(AP) 04/12/2004 11:16 PM
AP - Vice President Dick Cheney thanked Japan's prime minister Monday for not giving in to Iraqi insurgents and kidnappers who are demanding withdrawal of Japanese troops in exchange for the release of Japanese hostages. He condemned "sudden random strikes" against innocent civilians in Iraq.

Japan hostages home after ordeal

Japan hostages home after ordeal 04/18/2004 11:02 AM
Three Japanese hostages arrive home as Pope John Paul II urges kidnappers in Iraq to free their captives.

Japan PM Gets Boost, Iraq Hostages
Return

Japan PM Gets Boost, Iraq Hostages
Return 04/18/2004 07:08 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 18 2004 10:43AM GMT

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.

Japan Awaits Release of 3 Iraq Hostages
(AP)

Japan Awaits Release of 3 Iraq Hostages
(AP) 04/11/2004 11:42 PM
AP - Japan waited anxiously Monday for the release of three Japanese civilians taken hostage in Iraq, as the government struggled to determine whether they were safe and if armed captors planned to set them free as promised.

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

Japan PM Firm on Iraq Despite New
Hostages Report

Japan PM Firm on Iraq Despite New
Hostages Report 04/15/2004 01:10 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 15 2004 5:07AM GMT

Japan unsure of safety of hostages in
Iraq

Japan unsure of safety of hostages in
Iraq 04/12/2004 08:39 AM

Japan Issues Video Demanding Release of
Hostages

Japan Issues Video Demanding Release of
Hostages 04/10/2004 12:38 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 10 2004 4:43PM GMT

Japan Hostages Said Safe in Iraq,
Relatives Anxious

Japan Hostages Said Safe in Iraq,
Relatives Anxious 04/11/2004 04:18 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 11 2004 7:50AM GMT

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

New: Whereabouts 1.0

New: Whereabouts 1.0 05/05/2004 09:36 AM
Whereabouts makes it possible to publish your Mac OS X address cards on .Mac or any WebDAV server and to subscribe to other people's published cards.

Whereabouts 1.0.0

Whereabouts 1.0.0 05/05/2004 11:01 AM
Whereabouts helps you share address cards on the Internet.

Map whereabouts the wireless way

Map whereabouts the wireless way 01/27/2004 08:39 PM
Los Angeles Times Jan 28 2004 1:03AM GMT

More on the Whereabouts of That Elusive
IE Patch

More on the Whereabouts of That Elusive
IE Patch 01/16/2004 11:33 AM
On a Microsoft security Webcast held Wednesday, participants were more interested in the whereabouts of a patch for a known Internet Explorer spoofing vulnerability than they were in the three new security bulletins that Microsoft released Tuesday. Microsoft's been working on the IE patch since before Christmas, and it is done. But all the different permutations and combinations still need to be tested.

U.S. Marine's Whereabouts Unknown -
Lebanese Family

U.S. Marine's Whereabouts Unknown -
Lebanese Family 07/08/2004 03:56 AM
Reuters via Wired News Jul 8 2004 7:58AM GMT

denied their right to see a lawyer and
their families were left unaware of
their whereabouts

denied their right to see a lawyer and
their families were left unaware of
their whereabouts 05/12/2004 01:30 AM
Mistreatment Of Detainees Went Beyond Guards' Abuse .. angry and hardened by their incarceration .. on a whim .. abuses

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15492-2004May10.html
track this site | 6 links

Unconfirmed: T-Mobile Treo 650 Soon?

Unconfirmed: T-Mobile Treo 650 Soon? 04/12/2005 07:44 AM

Reader Nick J writes in with this little blip about a surprise yesterday.

"Hey joel, not sure if this is news, but t-mobile sent my company 3 treo 650s as a thank-you for renewing a bunch of cell phone accounts. i hadn't heard anything official about t-mobile supporting treo 650, but this is clear evidence."

Anyone else heard anything concrete about this?

Sidekick II Easter Egg (Unconfirmed)

Sidekick II Easter Egg (Unconfirmed) 09/23/2004 07:13 AM

Typing " @(^o^)@ " in the Sidekick 2 AIM client creates a monkey smiley.

Adding a "v" or a "_" instead of the "o" makes different monkey gestures.

• UNCONFIRMED XBOX 2 DETAILS LEAK EARLY

• UNCONFIRMED XBOX 2 DETAILS LEAK EARLY 03/24/2005 08:50 AM
Newshub.com - Thu Mar 24, 07:33 am GMT

Unconfirmed: T-Mobile Gives Danger
Security Deadline

Unconfirmed: T-Mobile Gives Danger
Security Deadline 03/23/2005 12:46 PM

A source near T-Mobile's high level security teams has informed Gizmodo that the carrier has given an informal ultimatum to Danger, the company that produces the hit Sidekick and Sidekick II. The problem isn't the device itself, but the security of the backend servers, which Danger also manages. If the security issues plaguing the platform are not fixed, says our source, T-Mobile intends to stop selling the Sidekick.

Although the security issues on the Sidekick platform are far from a new development, the Paris Hilton Sidekick Hack made it a much more prominent issue (and ironically, increased Sidekick sales). We've been told that T-Mobile has limited Danger's access to T-Mobile customer data to a bare minimum in an attempt to mitigate any possible future leaks.

Danger could not be reached for comment, but it's also the wee hours of the morning in California, so no foul. We hope to confirm this information as soon as possible, since it could affect not only Danger, but all users of the Sidekick platform.

Update: We've been informed that the date of the security ultimatum is July 1st, 2005.

MacRumors' 2003 Rumor Rejects and
Unconfirmed

MacRumors' 2003 Rumor Rejects and
Unconfirmed 12/30/2003 05:04 AM
Last year, MacRumors published our first 2002 Rumor Reject and Unconfirmed List. This compilation of unconfirmed and unverifiable rumors offered read...

Automatic Resolution of Unconfirmed
Bugzilla Bugs

Automatic Resolution of Unconfirmed
Bugzilla Bugs 03/31/2005 02:53 PM

Unconfirmed: Sony to Replace Dead Pixel
PSPs

Unconfirmed: Sony to Replace Dead Pixel
PSPs 03/28/2005 10:30 AM

This is far from an official word, but PSP Takeover is reporting that Sony is providing free replacement PSPs for those who have two or more dead pixels (well, free plus shipping). Sony's US customer support isn't open yet (8AM PST), but we'll try to give them a ring later in the day to see what's up.

Nintendo was replacing any DS with a dead pixel, not two or more, so hopefully Sony will meet that challenge.

PSP Dead Pixel problem fixed [TBlog]

FDA's Reliance On Unconfirmed Chiefs Is
Faulted (washingtonpost.com)

FDA's Reliance On Unconfirmed Chiefs Is
Faulted (washingtonpost.com) 12/19/2004 03:35 PM
washingtonpost.com - The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates almost one-quarter of the U.S. economy, has been without a permanent chief for almost two-thirds of the time that President Bush has been in office.

Unconfirmed Reports Say Saudi Qaeda
Leader Killed -TV

Unconfirmed Reports Say Saudi Qaeda
Leader Killed -TV 06/19/2004 06:11 AM
Reuters via Wired News Jun 19 2004 10:41AM GMT

Unconfirmed Confirmed: North America PSP
Pricing and Availability: Updated

Unconfirmed Confirmed: North America PSP
Pricing and Availability: Updated 02/05/2005 10:17 PM

Brian Blair writes, "PSP is out March 24th in North America, it's $249 bundled with a bunch of accessories. That is the value pack. Includes Spiderman 2 movie on UMD.  24 titles available at launch."

Here are the launch titles (including Ape Escape!): PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R) Portable) Amasses Largest Launch Line-Up for March 24th Release
Sony to release PSP March 24 in North America [Reuters]

albawaba.com: Unconfirmed opposition
reports: Tareq Aziz shot dead

albawaba.com: Unconfirmed opposition
reports: Tareq Aziz shot dead 03/20/2003 08:33 AM
ALIBAWABA: Unconfirmed opposition reports: Tareq Aziz shot dead .. Shot while trying to defect, .. AZIZ ASSASSINATION WATCH .. True or False? .. al-Bawaba .. rumours .. dead

track this site | 8 links

Japan Hot Stocks-Nippon Shinpan, Yahoo
Japan, Alps, NTT DoCoMo

Japan Hot Stocks-Nippon Shinpan, Yahoo
Japan, Alps, NTT DoCoMo 02/17/2004 09:19 PM
Forbes Feb 18 2004 1:52AM GMT

Japan Hot Stocks-Yahoo Japan, Nissho
Iwai-Nichimen, Casio

Japan Hot Stocks-Yahoo Japan, Nissho
Iwai-Nichimen, Casio 05/11/2004 10:16 PM
Forbes May 12 2004 2:25AM GMT

Japan Hot Stocks-Bridgestone, Yahoo
Japan, Nissho Iwai-Nichimen

Japan Hot Stocks-Bridgestone, Yahoo
Japan, Nissho Iwai-Nichimen 05/11/2004 10:16 PM
Forbes May 12 2004 2:25AM GMT

Japan Hot Stocks-Vodafone Holdings,
Nippon Shinpan, Yahoo Japan

Japan Hot Stocks-Vodafone Holdings,
Nippon Shinpan, Yahoo Japan 02/17/2004 11:53 PM
Forbes Feb 18 2004 4:22AM GMT

Japan Hot Stocks-Yahoo Japan, Mitsubishi
Motors, Toshiba, UFJ

Japan Hot Stocks-Yahoo Japan, Mitsubishi
Motors, Toshiba, UFJ 04/25/2004 10:03 PM
Forbes Apr 26 2004 2:40AM GMT

Japan Hot Stocks-Yahoo Japan, Alps, NTT
DoCoMo

Japan Hot Stocks-Yahoo Japan, Alps, NTT
DoCoMo 02/17/2004 09:06 PM
Forbes Feb 18 2004 1:23AM GMT

E-envoy get the chop

E-envoy get the chop 12/15/2003 11:41 AM
'Head of e-Government' appointed instead

From E-envoy To E-government

From E-envoy To E-government 05/26/2004 03:03 AM
Local Government Chronicle May 26 2004 7:58AM GMT
Grok Description matches for Whereabouts of Japan Hostages Unconfirmed-Envoy
GrokA matches for Whereabouts of Japan Hostages Unconfirmed-Envoy

Whereabouts of Japan Hostages Unconfirmed-Envoy

The following phrases have been identified by the grok system as matching this entry: