Overly risk-averse society

Japan Times

Readers in Council

April 25, 2004

The Japanese government said it was considering billing the freed Japanese hostages in Iraq for some of the expenses accrued as a result of getting them rescued.

What a contrast to the response of the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who commended the freed Japanese hostages for risking their lives for the greater good.

There is no doubt that the hostages had ignored government warnings and had been told to leave Iraq. Yet Powell’s comment vs. the Japanese government response to the hostages’ activities shows the utter insularity and small-mindedness of Japanese who are more concerned about not creating a disturbance to society and bothering other people than risking life to save other people.

KO UNOKI

Tokyo