The deadline has passed for the Japanese hostage in Iraq. How is this being seen in Japan?

According to the Mainichi, NGO workers and journalists familiar with the current situation in Iraq are floored that a Japanese man would go to the Iraq at a time when abductions are almost a daily event. In the words of one journalist, “I understand young people’s wish to look at the world. But conditions in Iraq now are far more dangerous than when several Japanese people were taken hostage in April.” An NGO head also ominously predicted that three Japanese people kidnapped in April were only released because one, volunteer worker Naoko Takato, knew Iraqi people and worked for their welfare.

The Kyodo News Wire reported that young Japanese people were split on their opinion of the hostage:

Opinion among Japanese in their 20s varied Thursday over the actions of a 24-year-old Japanese traveler who entered Iraq alone and was taken hostage by militants. Some criticized hostage Shosei Koda’s behavior as “silly,” while others expressed understanding about his curiosity. “I think it’s silly to go to Iraq for travel purposes,” 22-year-old college student Satoshi Fujii of Fukuoka said, adding that Iraq “is not somewhere one should take the risk of going to.”

In Sendai, a 23-year-old graduate student who asked not to be named, said, “I can understand if it were people like nongovernmental organization staff or journalists who have a mission and must (travel to Iraq), but (going) for curiosity and self-satisfaction cannot be justified.” Hidetada Shiraki, a 21-year-old vocational school student in Sapporo, expressed understanding for Koda. “I think it was silly for him to have chosen such a dangerous path,” Shiraki said. “But from what I’ve heard (from media reports) he didn’t know about the conditions and went there out of curiosity.”

Shinya Oyamada, a 29-year-old company employee in Tokyo, was also sympathetic, saying, “People in their early 20s are enthusiastic and want to challenge things.”

Kyodo suggests the general conclusion of twenty-somethings is that the hostage was “silly.” I sure agree with them on that one. The Japan Times echoes Kyodo, saying that young Japanese are split.

Unfortunately, Japan has been unable to contact the hostage takers for negotiations. So the hostage’s prospects don’t look bright.

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