Here is my first post for our class blog! I'm really excited to learn more about the different cultures within our Asian Area Studies class and am looking forward to the different blog posts that have to do with those parts of the world today.
Japanese officials want to talk to ISIS?? This link I came across was really shocking to me because of the different things we hear about on a day to day basis about the militant group. Communicating with them, because of the two Japanese men being held hostage is an even bigger risk. Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa are the two men captive, which are being threatened to death if they don't receive $200 million from Japan. Goto was a freelance journalist and Yukawa was also traveling around for experience first hand. The article shows how much the Japanese government is trying to get the captives back with no harm done, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga explains "his government will do its utmost to communicate with ISIS on the fate of Goto and Yukawa through a third party, such as another nation's government or a local tribe. He didn't say whether Japan would be willing to pay any ransom."
This article stood out to me because of how bold and shocking it is, and how it explains what the Japanese officials are saying and trying to do about the situation that came up regarding the two Japanese captives that are under ISIS hands.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/middleeast/isis-japan-hostages/index.html
Lindsay
