News Analysis: Japan could take more "proactive" role in fight against IS as hostage crisis unfolds

Japan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it is working to verify a video that was purportedly made by the Islamic State (IS) group and showed one of its members threatening to kill two Japanese hostages unless a ransom is paid.

The man who appears in the video uploaded to the YouTube video- hosting site, criticizes Japan and its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for pledging aid to countries fighting against IS and demands that a ransom of 200 million U.S. dollars (23.6 billion yen) be paid within 72 hours for the lives of the hostages.

The ransom amount being demanded for the lives of the two hostages, is around the same amount pledged by Abe in a speech given in Cairo on Saturday during which he said that Japan would support anti-Islamic State efforts and contribute to countries involved in the campaign, which includes providing support to Iraqi and Syrian refugees.

Abe, currently in Jerusalem as part of a six-day tour of the Middle East, condemned the threats as both "unacceptable" and " unforgivable," the foreign ministry here confirmed, with the prime minister clearly stating that extremism and Islam are entirely different things and that the international community will not give in to any form of terrorism and would unite to tackle it. "The current terrorist threats levied at Japan will create a great deal of concern for the prime minister, as the tactics being used by IS are apparently becoming more barbaric and widespread, and have seen both mass killings, as well as soldiers and journalists being beheaded, with the content made available globally online," Asian affairs analyst Kaoru Imori told Xinhua Tuesday evening. "And while Japan will likely be poised in its response, Tokyo has already dispatched its international anti-terrorist personnel from its National Police Agency to Amman, redirected Yasuhide Nakayama, a senior foreign vice minister accompanying Abe on his tour to deal with the immediate crisis, and Abe himself has decided to cut short his tour to deal with the situation from Tokyo," Imori said.

The analyst went on to say that it is no secret that Japan has been actively looking to assert itself more into international situations, that has or will see its allies or its assets compromised by conflict, and pointed out that based on the unfolding events, last year's reinterpretation of the country's pacifist Constitution, could now see a swifter resolution passed in parliament to allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces a more " proactive" role along side countries like the United States who are fighting against IS. "Abe has vowed to save the hostages, and this shouldn't be taken lightly. When Abe makes something his 'top priority' as is the hostage case now, he is extremely resolute when it comes to achieving the conclusion that he wants, and, in this case, it's to save the lives of two Japanese citizens," said Imori, adding that if this proves to be a catalyst for Japan ramping up its overseas military aims, the prime minister would not shy away from it.

The video footage, which showed a man in black holding a knife as two hostages wearing orange jumpsuits kneel on the ground, identifies the two captives as Kenji Goto, 47, a freelance journalist from Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, and Haruna Yukawa, 42, from Chiba Prefecture, who reportedly went to Syria to set up a private military contracting company and was captured in in Marea, northern Syria, while traveling with rebel fighters from the Islamic Front. The pair apparently met in June last year when Goto helped Yukawa travel to Iraq, sources familiar to the situation said Tuesday. The video directly addresses Abe, with the militant claiming that Abe had made himself a willing part of the IS crusade. "To the Prime Minister of Japan: although you are more than 8, 500 kilometers away from the Islamic State, you willingly have volunteered to take part in this crusade," the man dressed head-to- toe in black combat gear said. "You have proudly donated 100 million U.S. dollars to kill our women and children, to destroy the homes of the Muslims," the man said in English, adding that Abe and Japan had also pledged 100 million U.S. dollars to curb the expansion of IS. A ransom amount of 100 million U.S. dollars was then demanded for each of the hostages and a deadline of 72-hours given.

A headquarters at the crisis management center at the prime minister's office had been established as of late this afternoon, with Cabinet members holding various emergency meetings, sources close to Abe's office said this evening. "Thus far, Japan has been somewhat removed from the Islamic State's activities, but perhaps it was only a matter of time before something like this happened and Japan became personally embroiled," Imori said. "With Abe swift to say that he personally felt 'indignant' and sense of 'strong' resentment' at the threats from the hostage taker, once the video is verified, we can be sure the prime minister's and thus Japan's presence in anti-IS efforts will be greater," said the analyst. Endi