Japanese firms face wake-up call on threats of violence

Now the companies are “leaning forward, they are listening, they are asking questions and ultimately buying,” the services of risk management specialists, he said.

Milk this fear for all it's worth.

Prudence is called for, but I hope they don't go overboard.

Milk this fear for all it's worth.

Yeah, I know, right?

It is somewhat ironic that Haruna Yukawa, who wanted to pretend to be something of a security consultant over in the ME, now helped boosting business for people such as himself, without credentials or experience (but with marketing skills), by getting killed.

We can expect to watch all kinds of people coming out from the shadows now, hoping to cash in on this newfound "fear". And, seeing as how the Japanese like to pay their way to happiness and the feeling of safety and security, there will be a few people getting wealthy.

Well they should worried!

“This is definitely a wake-up call ... to have criminals on TV saying, ‘We are going to kill Japanese,’ that’s pretty powerful, especially when they do it in front of your eyes,” Bruce McIndoe, president of iJET, an Annapolis, Maryland-based risk management advisory company, said in an interview.

... and of course this guy has NO reason to want to ramp up the fear factor, right? I mean it isn't like he stands to make billions out of this?

Now the companies are “leaning forward, they are listening, they are asking questions and ultimately buying,” the services of risk management specialists, he said.

"Risk management specialists"? What do they mean? Are we talking about the type of people who give advice, or the type of people you say, "Take care of it" to and then don't ask anymore questions.

Not sure about judging the entire Middle East on what is happening in Syria and Iraq. Bad things often happen in places like South America, Paris, Spain, Cambodia and Egypt(whether you consider it Middle East or North Africa) and it hasn't kept Japanese from going there.

"Risk management specialists"? What do they mean? Are we talking about the type of people who give advice, or the type of people you say, "Take care of it" to and then don't ask anymore questions.

This is the type of work that Yukawa was trying to get into and went for some OJT when he got snatched.

So if they are talking to Japanese types I would be worried.

Wait, THIS is a wake up call but the murder of 10 Japanese in Libya 2 years ago wasn't?

I think this consultant interviewed for this article is trying to make $$$$$ off this situation.

@Pandabelle Great comment. I mentioned that just the other day in another post. It just goes to show how short the media cycle has become these days.

Live in a designated camp is safe.

Wait, THIS is a wake up call but the murder of 10 Japanese in Libya 2 years ago wasn't?

That Algeria if I recall

Pandabelle: "Wait, THIS is a wake up call but the murder of 10 Japanese in Libya 2 years ago wasn't?"

I agree with you that as far as Japanese firms in the ME go, the 10 Japanese slain should definitely be something they are more concerned about regarding security in general. And I also definitely agree that this is about a guy making money.

However, you should get the facts right before you draw comparisons. It was Algeria, not Libya, and that was different as Japanese were not specifically targeted (there were 29 other hostages killed of other nationalities) -- the gas facility was with the intention of stopping French intrusion into Mali. The threat of targeting specifically Japanese nationals and/or their interests is different, and hence, probably, this not being mentioned -- although it would be good to mention it as a footnote, at least.

One other reason it might not be mentioned is the fact that at that time, too, Abe was also powerless to do anything, and there was poor communication and government confusion as to what was happening.

However, you should get the facts right before you draw comparisons. It was Algeria, not Libya

A simple correction would suffice, smith. No need to be rude about it.

Welcome to 2015. Even remote islands have to adjust if they want to be of impo(r)tance.

Unfortunatly history did not end 25 or so years ago. As would like many a folks.

More Japanese are killed on the roads or kill themselves every year than will ever be killed by 'militants'! I agree with most of you here-this is fear mongering.....