Japan self-censors images, words linked to hostage crisis

There is nothing immature about a deeply reflective society which attempts to show respect and gravity for tragedy. I wouldn't be so sharp. Check some of the photos of smiling soldiers in Nanjing.

If the government and it's leader want to play a larger role on the international scene then they should take this attitude and apply it when an event or incident occurs that involves people from other countries as well.

They are VERY selective in who or what "activates" this attitude.

The worst part is that the TV itself is going to make an entertainment show out of the topic today.

Lack of psychological maturity. Who can decide what I am allowed to see or hear ? It is called freedom and open-mindedness. While Japan can be proud for respecting its own people , rule is applying externally only on demand. Keeping populace in infantile environment by deciding for them is not helping to see danger and understand how to mitigate it. It is like if avoiding a word would make its meaning not existing in our world. Thanks Japan Today for makings my words of wisdom and optimism to allow to be read.

Avoidance is a pretty obvious feature of Japanese society in general.

The speed and thoroughness by which the censorship kicks in is worrying.

"...a culture that has been evolving for thousands of years."

Japanese civilization didn't get going until around 600 AD.

If we have to censor anime because of a few nutters, that would be a real tragedy. Show some backbone for once, Japan!

Governmental censorship is wrong, always wrong, always wrong.

@Iowan

and yet, it exists everywhere. Unless the people, f.e. working in the media, use the scissors in their head voluntarily, then a government will do it for you.

Alaways... and everywhere....

As a parent, I'm regularly shocked to see the graphic violence broadcast on daytime TV.

Temporary self-censorship is like kids hiding their cigarettes when they hear the teacher coming.

"Images or mentions of knives, ransom or blood — or anything else that can be seen alluding to the hostage crisis involving two Japanese in Syria — have been cut out." This plays right into the hands of the terrorists. The message--- ISIS and to a lesser extent the whole religion of Islam is dangerous---will soon be forgotten thus setting the stage for another attack, probably on Japanese soil.

"The restraint by broadcasters and other media has spilled over into politics as opposition lawmakers, mindful of the crisis, toned down their criticism of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his team." Prime Minister Abe was right not to pay the money but lost in this entire episode was that Yukawa was kidnapped in early August of last year and Goto not to long after. Abe and team fiddled for months, hid this information from the general public (I wonder if Abe would have won his "mandate" that he now says justifies his state's secrets law and the revision of the Japanese constitution had the public been aware of what was happening in Syria) until an election was safely won. Censoring is bad; it robs us of information we need to have to keep ourselves safe.

While being respectful has a place in a peaceful society, we must have all the information for society to remain peaceful.

So far, the restraint is relatively mild.

This article is very selective of its information and inaccurate from my viewing experience.

Am I the only one who noticed that the bushi in the Jidai dramas were still carrying katana and using them.

So much for cencoring knives and violence.

This comment means no disrepect fo Gotto san and his family for whom I feel deep sympathy, it is aimed directly at the article.

Self-restaint...I call BS. Look at the "media" suffocating Goto's mother when she made her statement, cripes give the woman room to breathe!

This too shall pass...