Freed Japanese, in Tehran, apologizes for having caused trouble

Tuesday 17th June, 06:41 AM JST

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Latest 15 of 39 Total Comments Show All

damexicanbuda at 11:33 PM JST - 17th June

Nakamura kun is an idiot, and a very lucky one at that. The unruly parts of not only Iran, but Pakistan, Afganistan etc..not only have terrorists but many, many thieves who will do anything to get their illegal drugs to their drug addicts in Europe, the USA, Roppongi etc...even normal Iranians do not travel to the region he went to and ended up getting kidnapped,let alone this Japanese kid who probably stood out like balls on a dog.
rajakumar at 11:49 PM JST - 17th June

Great news for all, satoshi nakamura is freed and he says he was never treated in a violent way. Iran travellers, got good advise from him, about travel conditions in Iran countryside. Iran needs to up control on criminals and kidnappers, in Iran more, for future tourism business, there.
usaexpat at 12:17 AM JST - 18th June

Why would you be trekking through Iran exactly? My wife and I have wanted to visit Egypt for a long time but wouldn't do that either and Egypt is considered friendly with the west. With all the fundie groups roaming the middle east looking for foreigners to kidnap why not just go to Europe or maybe Chile?
kinniku at 09:22 AM JST - 18th June

sabiwabi,

As you can see, most reasonable people realize there are indeed dangerous parts of Iran and that people like Mr. Nakamura should exercise caution when traveling. However, for people such as yourself, I will happily provide a small bit of recent news of the area. Remember, I can always back up what I write. If not, I don't write it. Hopefully, people will read it and realize that it is better to do research about your intended area of travel rather than trust people who probably don't have their facts straight...

Care of the Islamic Republic News Agency (I previously provided a more complete list but it was deleted for being off-topic):

Wednesday June 18, 2008 Judge assassinated in Saravan, Iran Zahedan, Sistan-o-Balouchestan Prov, June 17, IRNA

Wednesday June 18, 2008 7 bandits killed in northwestern Iran Tehran, May 31, IRNA

Wednesday June 18, 2008 Kidnapped Japanese tourist, Iranian clergyman freed Tehran, June 14, IRNA
sabiwabi at 10:36 AM JST - 18th June

kinniku,

Remember, I can always back up what I write. If not, I don't write it.

Ah, you say that now, in the same post where you do finally provide some evidence. But remember that you also once admitted to making stuff up (when you were talking about PCR). But why do you tell me to search the net, but you demand proof when I write something obvious. In other words, please follow the same standards you expect others to follow.
kinniku at 12:37 PM JST - 18th June

'Evidence'? All my 'evidence' has proven is that you don't read the news and you do not know the situation in Iran. Most reasonable people wouldn't need me to list the above stories. These are news stories on the Islamic Republic News Agency. All you had to do was look at news about a country you claim to know about, but don't seem to know very much about. You were wrong plain and simple. I don't know what you are referring to with regard to PCR (Taiwan?). However, I don't write what I can't back up. Sadly, one cannot say the same for you. In this case, you were suggesting that it was safe to travel in areas that are definitely not safe. When I suggested you were wrong, you never bothered to check. Personally, I don't think that is very reasonable.

Fortunately, Mr. Nakamura has learned a valuable lesson and said so himself at his press conference on his arrival to Japan. He specifically said he should have been more careful about where he traveled. I am glad he is well.
kinniku at 12:45 PM JST - 18th June

Ah, sorry...now I see what you were talking about with PRC(forgive my memory lapse, that was some time ago). BTW,I was right about that, too. Check the internet. I assume you haven't. It is there as well.
kinniku at 06:49 PM JST - 18th June

sabiwabi,

But why do you tell me to search the net, but you demand proof when I write something obvious.

Sorry. This deserves an answer as well. Obviously I am telling you to search the internet, because I know what I say is there. When I ask you for proof, it is because I have tried to find the information you claim and cannot find it.
isthistheend at 08:54 PM JST - 18th June

When I showed a 2nd year employee at the company I work at here this news story in yesterday's paper, he replied "Oh we haven't heard anything about it Nobody knows about it". What do you think he was implying? a) we are not interested (nobody cares) about any negative story outside our country involving our citizens? or b) you fill it in. Was he just being obnoxious like the people who stand right in front of the doors on the trains and challenge you "Oh, you want me to move so you can get in do you?" or just refusing to face a fact when it appeared? The rest of the "class" goes on with him answering "No" to whatever I say, and then he'd carry on with what was interesting for him. I've had previous people like this before so I wasn't derailed, but it still surprises me the depth of denial, even among today's younger generation. Hello?
flechettes at 12:49 PM JST - 19th June

what was this guy doing that makes him think he done something wrong and has to bow so low like the japanese are so fond of?
kinniku at 01:14 PM JST - 19th June

flechettes,

It isn't that he did something 'wrong'. It is that he is sorry he put his family through so much worry. I think it is very honorable of him to think of others. There are quite a lot of people who should give this a try.
carlosgodoy1 at 02:40 PM JST - 19th June

ISTHISTHEEND:

Absolutely, the outright denial by certain Japanese people is astounding: "I dont know about it", therefore it doesn't exist. This thought pattern has been noted in an excellent book, Dogs and Demons by Alex Kerr. He points out how this is basically the way the government manages to bash its policies forward (ir)regardless of their detrimental impact...
kinniku at 08:08 PM JST - 19th June

Couldn't it be that the employee just didn't know about it? Although it had been in the news, it was not a huge story. Maybe the aquaintance doesn't look at or read the news. As far, as the '"I dont know about it", therefore it doesn't exist' part of the discussion, I think it is unfair to specifically label Japanese people as being unconcerned. My guess is that a fairly large part of the world's population doesn't really care much for any further away than a few kilometers.
flechettes at 10:38 PM JST - 19th June

Did the Japanese Government issue a travel warning for the area he was in? If so, and he went anyway maybe they should not come to the rescue and others will heed the warning!
kinniku at 06:11 PM JST - 20th June

flechettes,

While your reaction is quite common, it is the government's job to look after all of its citizens, even the citizens that make mistakes. That is one of the benefits of being a citizen of a country, or it should be anyway.