Negotiator Tells Japan Hostages Safe in Iraq-Kyodo

Grok Headline matches for Negotiator Tells Japan Hostages Safe in Iraq-Kyodo

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

Japanese Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed
Sunday -Kyodo

Japanese Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed
Sunday -Kyodo 04/10/2004 09:41 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 11 2004 1:43AM 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 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 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

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 unsure of safety of hostages in
Iraq

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

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 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.

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

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

Bush Tells Elderly Their Social Security
Checks Are Safe

Bush Tells Elderly Their Social Security
Checks Are Safe 03/22/2005 04:28 PM
The president assured elderly people that the personal accounts he envisioned would not threaten their retirement benefits.

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.

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.

Whereabouts of Japan Hostages
Unconfirmed-Envoy

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

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 Firm's Chip Tells Mom if Kids Out
of School (Reuters)

Japan Firm's Chip Tells Mom if Kids Out
of School (Reuters) 07/06/2004 08:28 AM
Reuters - Forget the notebook and the multicolored pen, a Japanese firm has developed the latest in school supplies -- chip-embedded student ID cards.

Seven new hostages seized in Iraq

Seven new hostages seized in Iraq 04/12/2004 03:44 AM
Insurgents kidnap a group of Chinese on the road to Baghdad as a fragile ceasefire holds in Falluja.

Iraq Group Gives New 48-Hr Deadline Over
Hostages

Iraq Group Gives New 48-Hr Deadline Over
Hostages 07/23/2004 04:49 PM
Reuters via Wired News Jul 23 2004 9:03PM GMT

Editor: Hostages in Iraq Given to Group
(AP)

Editor: Hostages in Iraq Given to Group
(AP) 09/02/2004 08:54 PM
AP - A Paris newspaper editor said there had been positive movement in the effort to free two captive French journalists Thursday, while a separate militant group in Iraq said it had killed three Turkish captives.

Deadline threat for Iraq hostages

Deadline threat for Iraq hostages 09/19/2004 12:30 AM
Militants threaten to execute three Western hostages unless all female Iraqi prisoners are set free.

Gunmen say they hold two hostages in
Iraq

Gunmen say they hold two hostages in
Iraq 06/02/2004 03:18 PM

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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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.

Fears grow for hostages in Iraq

Fears grow for hostages in Iraq 09/21/2004 06:53 AM
Fears grow for two Western hostages in Iraq following the beheading of their fellow captive.

Iraq hostages video is broadcast

Iraq hostages video is broadcast 06/03/2004 02:10 AM
An Arabic TV station broadcasts a two-day-old video of three Italians currently being held hostage in Iraq.

Italians to March to Aid Iraq Hostages
(AP)

Italians to March to Aid Iraq Hostages
(AP) 04/29/2004 10:40 AM
AP - Hundreds of people from across Italy gathered Thursday for a peace march demanded by kidnappers of three Italians in Iraq.

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.

Wait Goes on for French Hostages in Iraq

Wait Goes on for French Hostages in Iraq 09/04/2004 06:22 AM
Reuters via Wired News Sep 4 2004 10:37AM GMT

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

Turkish hostages 'killed' in Iraq

Turkish hostages 'killed' in Iraq 09/02/2004 12:04 PM
An Iraqi militant group kills three Turkish hostages, reports Arabic TV station al-Jazeera.

Three Japanese hostages in Iraq freed

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

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.

Iraq Working for Release of Hostages
(AP)

Iraq Working for Release of Hostages
(AP) 09/19/2004 09:52 AM
AP - Three Lebanese men and their Iraqi driver have been kidnapped in Iraq, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said Sunday, as Iraq's prime minister said his government was working for the release of two Americans and a Briton also being held hostage.

Insurgents in Iraq release 12 hostages

Insurgents in Iraq release 12 hostages 04/12/2004 02:03 PM

12 Nepalese Hostages Said Slain in Iraq
(AP)

12 Nepalese Hostages Said Slain in Iraq
(AP) 08/31/2004 09:00 PM
AP - A gruesome video posted on a Web site purported to show militants beheading a Nepalese worker and shooting 11 others in the first mass slaying of foreign hostages during the Iraqi insurgency.

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.
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Negotiator Tells Japan Hostages Safe in Iraq-Kyodo

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