Hostage crisis poses stark test for pacifist Japan

Distraught parents: Junko Ishido, mother of Goto, speaking to reporters while her husband Yukio Ishido stands beside her at their home in Tokyo. — AFP

TOKYO: The apparent beheading of two Japanese hostages by Islamic State (IS) militants poses a stark di­plomatic test for pacifist Japan, underscoring how Tokyo’s image as a benign aid donor offers no immunity from violence, analysts say.

Tokyo has long avoided getting embroiled in tinderbox conflicts across the Middle East and is rarely the target of religious extremism, something many ordinary Japanese see as a far-away problem.