New Delhi: The beheadings of two of its nationals by ISIS have outraged the people of Japan sp much that its premier Shinzo Abe has vowed revenge with a promise to make the terrorists pay the price.
The country and its premier, for a change, have decided to shed pacifism enshrined in the constitution of Japan.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reacted with outrage, promising "to make the terrorists pay the price." He added that Japan "would not give in to terrorism" and that he would expand his support to countries fighting IS. It is the very first time Japan has reacted so ferociously on terrorism.
The prime minister's call for revenge has raised eyebrows even in the military establishment, adding to a growing awareness here that the crisis could be a watershed for this long pacifist country.
"This is 9/11 for Japan," Kunihiko Miyake, a former high-ranking Japanese diplomat who has advised Abe on foreign affairs, told The New York Times.
"It is time for Japan to stop daydreaming that its goodwill and noble intentions would be enough to shield it from the dangerous world out there. Americans have faced this harsh reality, the French have faced it, and now we are, too," added Miyake.
Akihisa Nagashima, a former vice minister of defense, wrote on Twitter, "Japan has not seen this Western-style expression in its diplomacy before". "Does he intend to give Japan the capability to back up his words?"
The video of Kenji beheading comes less than a week after the apparent beheading of another Japanese man, Haruna Yukawa.
Goto, 47, a respected journalist known for his work covering the suffering of civilians in war zones, went to Syria in October, reportedly to try to secure Mr Yukawa's release. The video, which has all the hallmarks of previous IS propaganda videos, has not been authenticated, but Japanese officials believe it is genuine.
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