Goto's wife says she is proud of her husband

Goto's wife says she is proud of her husband

As she should be. His intentions were noble, unlike Yukawa.

A classy and courageous woman.

Spot on. Now I know all the naysayers here on JT will say he was reckless for knowingly putting himself in danger and leaving behind his wife and child. But his value system drove him to do what he did, and, am glad that his wife is proud of him.

My heart goes out to Goto's wife and family. I'm so sorry for your loss.

But his value system drove him to do what he did yes maybe, but there wasnt an ounce of desire for fame and recognition that drove him to do what he did. selfless to the refugees on the otherside of the world but not so for his family.

He had more guts than anyone commenting here and you know it. The world needs more like him!

He had more guts than anyone commenting here and you know it. nobody disputing his guts, just whether his acts where totally selfless to those closest to him, not some refugees on the other side of the world.

whether his acts where totally selfless

"totally selfless"? Is that the standard were holding our fellow human beings to?

SenseNotSoCommon here's a lesson for you: never speak ill of the dead, no matter what their intentions were.

never speak ill of the dead, no matter what their intentions were.* ah OK then I should keep my insults of Adolf Hitler, or Pol Pot. or are they exceptions of this rule!?

I salute to you Rinko -san, you are so brave, a good, understanding wife and mother. May God will always abide you, bless you and take good care of you and your children...<3 <3

CGB Spender,

Mr Yukawa strayed into hell with an AK47. Should have stayed at home with AKB48.

August ! , the Government knew about the situation since August and did nothing... What can anyone one do in the face of such stupidity .

Enlighten us Cricky. What could the GOJ have really done to secure the release of either prisoner? Japan had nothing to bargain with aside from cash, which is/was out of the question. How long they knew matters little if at all.

this can almost be seen as a modern-day Don Quixote, with Yukawa being the errant knight and Goto being the faithful side-kick Sancho Panza. Like Sancho, Goto couldn't desert Yukawa because he felt some responsibility for him. it's sad that the tale had to end so tragically. And his wife has every right to be proud of her husband. that type of chivalry is long gone in today's world.

rickyvee

Except Don Quixote's Dulcinea, a paragon of beauty and virtue, is infinitely more romantic and worthy of sympathy and understanding than Yukawa's Rambo distorted Rambo fantasy.

My heart goes out to Goto's wife and family. I'm so sorry for your loss. A lot of people including myself are proud. He tried to help people including his friend. He love what he did. Goto Kenji-san R.I.P

"totally selfless"? Is that the standard were holding our fellow human beings to? No humans being not perfect you cant expect it of them, but there are still many (selfless) that devote there lives to helping others. if more people strived to be like these people the world would be a much nicer place to live in. My point is Goto`s foolish act has now left his children with no father and wife with no husband, and for what!? the loss of his own life!. is there any evidence his sacrifice saved the lives of others!? if he was a doctor/nurse that wnet there to help people then thats understandable, but hes a reporter and other than reporting for the TV/newspapers to further his careerer or not it was a total waste of his life.

It didn't have to take for this to happen for her to be proud.

GCB Spender, Most of the time , I respect and thinks your comments are fair and to the point, but to bunch everyone together as gutless, does this include yourself. I mean no insult it just that I been there. There is a different between guts and being naive. I respected him for his beliefs but as I had said before, An Angel surrounded by Devils is just suicide no matter the intentions.

Goto gave his life to help a friend. No shame in that.

Errr USNjapan the Government of Japan did nothing for 6 months. Was not public knowledge until now. And there response was what old men in suits running in to a room.

@Yenot Thanks! Yes including me, too. that was a generalization. No need to put every word on a golden scale to understand what was meant to be said.

My point is Goto`s foolish act has now left his children with no father and wife with no husband, and for what!? the loss of his own life!. is there any evidence his sacrifice saved the lives of others!? if he was a doctor/nurse that wnet there to help people then thats understandable, but hes a reporter and other than reporting for the TV/newspapers to further his careerer or not it was a total waste of his life.

I'll use CGBSpender words: Do not speak ill of the death, How dare you to say it was a waste of his life?, clearly you don't know what it means for some to do a greater good, even if it means to report to the rest of the world, or to you is being noble only if you are a nurse or a doctor?, what a about a spokesman/spokeswoman ho has the ability to convince people if they take a shot in negotiating are wasting their life?

My heart goes to Goto's wife, she's a classy woman

Goto was kind and wise enough to leave behind a letter stating that he knew the possible consequences of his choices. The media needs to let his wife and family mourn his loss in peace. I have a lot of respect for both him and his family. While the citizens of Japan can mourn his loss, the government needs to comprehend that they need to focus on building their internal defense system and national security for Japan, because if any Islamists are capable of getting off any terrorist attack in Japan, then it's going to be much worse.

ISIS keeps showing their evil to the world and still so many people want to try and find lack of fault for their actions. This is about as black and white as it can get that ISIS has only one single goal. To build an oppressive regime based on Islamic political ideology.

Spot on. Now I know all the naysayers here on JT will say he was reckless for knowingly putting himself in danger and leaving behind his wife and child. But his value system drove him to do what he did, and, am glad that his wife is proud of him.

One of those naysayers would be me. But the more I learn about this man, the more I respect him. At first I thought he was a fool, and although I don't really agree with what he did, I see now where he was coming from.

A true man of peace, ready to die for what he believed in. RIP Mr. Goto. Judging by the support I see for you throughout the world, I would say your final act was no entirely in vain. Each act of terror strengthens the world's resolve to unite against it.

(Hey guys, can we all agree on this part?)

Japanese accepts Death quite differently from many other races. They face death bravely. And taking one's live via seppuku was an honourable way to go. Today, the corporate seppuku is resignation of top management staff for major set-backs.

Goto did a foolish act by going there. And he paid the ultimate price. Did he not think of the dangers? Did he not think of his family? What was it so glorious to go there when Westerners have been beheaded over the months?

Just because he died does not mean I need to say something polite. Japanese and most of us should just avoid such war-torn zones.

To-date neither the government nor any prominent papers or journalists have warn: Stay away from Iraq and Syria. It is downright selfish if we do not reflect on this tragedy and prevent the next one.

One young Japanese in his mid-20s was beheaded by Al Qaeda in Iraq. The Japanese public has not learnt. The victim is probably heading to Iraq or is already there.

wtfjapan - totally agree with you,but people rather sponsor ISIS in exchange for recklesness

As much as people want to thrash Goto for leaving a family behind, I am pretty sure his wife knew what she was getting into when she married him and had children with him. I don't know how long he has been married but I presume not long since his children are at the infant and toddler stages. He has been doing reporting on children in troubled areas for a long time.

I'd be more concerned about his children growing up and if they will know about what happened to their dad.

Goto is a hero. Not because he was killed by terrorists, though that may be why most people in the west ever hear of him. Not because he faced his own death, though that may make him braver than most people who criticize him. Goto is a hero because he lived his life trying to do good for others. He set a standard any one of us should be honored to try to live up to.

Some people who know nothing about the Goto family situation may groundlessly speculate on how his death affects support for his family. I wouldn't choose to speculate without a shred of information, which is what anyone here would be doing to criticize him. I do know however that whatever happens, he did leave his children a very important thing. He left his children, indeed all of Japan's children, a model of how to live your life for the good of people in need around you.

I wonder just how many people slinging mud at him across the anonymity of the Internet can say they've done the same.

ISIS keeps showing their evil to the world and still so many people want to try and find lack of fault for their actions.

I keep seeing people make comments like this, but I haven't seen any comments that fall in line with what they are referring to. Who has tried to find a lack of fault for ISIS actions?

Actually Goto is the exact opposite of a hero, what he did is military publicity and providing a ladder to further militarize Japan. and on personal level, there is absolutely nothing heroic about going to a place where you are 99% certain to be captured in search of some monday morning magazine story.

Too sad for words. Rest in Peace.

SenseNotSoCommon here's a lesson for you: never speak ill of the dead, no matter what their intentions were.

There are plenty of dead people, very worthy of speaking bad about. No matter their intentions.

Now, I don't find Goto (or Yukawa for that matter) to be among those worthy of ill speak, but there are many others. Just because a person is dead doesn't automatically make it necessary for everybody to respect them.

Goto tried to make the world a better place. Lots of respect and condolonces to his wife & family.

Knox,

Goto had noble intentions, following a misguided kohai he felt responsibility for.

J Gov's silence on the latter's possession of an assault rifle is deafening.

What about the purported Japanese ISIS fighters? Ignored, in the hope that they stay away, that they get it out of their system like some graduating bosozoku? Or is there a top secret strategy for returning jihadis?

Official message from Goto Family.

http://ipgoto.com/

日本政府及び各国政府並びに国民の皆様へ

この度は、後藤健二が世間をお騒がせすることとなり、大変申し訳ございません。

解放に向けご尽力いただきました日本政府及び各国政府、並び無事解放を願っていただきました国民の皆様に対しまして、親族一同心よりお礼申し上げます。さらに、この間ご支援を頂きました友人の皆様に心より感謝申し上げます。

10月末にシリア国境付近にて消息を絶って以来、私ども家族は無事の帰国を祈ってまいりましたが、このような結果となり痛恨の極みであり、悲しみに打ちひしがれております。

ジャーナリストという職業柄、危険な地域の取材に出かけることも多く、万一の場合の覚悟はしてきたつもりでおりましたが、大切な家族を失い、この喪失感を受け入れなければならない塗炭の苦しみの中にあります。

最後に、親族一同の願いとしましては、後藤健二の御霊の安らぎを願うとともに、幼い子供たちとともに心静かな生活を送って参りたいと思っておりますので、ご理解とご高配を賜れれば幸いです。

後藤健二　親族一同

My condolences to the Wife and Family of Kenji Goto.

Kenji was a very special person in this world and his love for helping others will remain in our hearts for a very very long time.

Our deep condolences to her. Our best wishes for her patience and strength during this sorrow. We are proud of him as well, and we hope his daughter will grow up and be successful in life.

R.I.P. Kenji Goto. Don't worry. Justice will be served.

Sense,

I find the sudden respect and glorifying of Goto in combination with the damnation of Yukawa troubling. They both did what they wanted to do. Goto did what he believed in, which always commends respect, but I think Yukawa was a troubled soul and didn't really see any solution but to escape and pretend to start over somewhere far away. I could be wrong, though, I didin't know the men, much like everyone else now speaking of one as a fantastic, great guy, and another as a loon.

None of these guys, no matter their intentions, deserved to die.

Thanks, Knox

Both men were victims of a monstrous game that a few profit from, but none controls.

@Knox, sometimes the cure is more harsher than the disease. You speak true words and unfortunate in this day and age, many wants to be politically correct and through this nothing is gained. The bitter the pill sometimes is the quickest cure. Agree or disagree,common sense observations are in dire straits.

The dictionary defines martyr as a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause. Mr. Goto, you are a true martyr. You sacrified your life to rescue your friend. The fact that Mr. Yukawa had someone there with him, facing death together must have redeemed his troubled soul at its last moments. Thank you for your lesson in humanity and rest in peace!

I'm proud of Goto too! Great guy!

As she should be. His intentions were noble, unlike Yukawa

No need to throw Yukawa under the bus I'm sad he died too