Please help Japanese Citizens captured in Iraq

Dear Friends,

This is Asako KAGEYAMA from Hokkaido, Japan.
You might have already informed that three Japanese citizens have been
captured in Iraq,
by unknown group called Saraya al-Mujahadin. They said they would kill the
Japanese
citizens if Japanese SDF did not leave Iraq within three days.

The Japanese are aid worker Nahoko Takato, 34, Noriaki Imai,18 , and
freelance cameraman
Soichiro Koriyama, 32.

Nahoko and Noriaki are from my place and they are active peace workers. We
know them very
well. We really want them to be release. It is our prime minister to be
blamed, not them.

I have written the following letter to Aljazeera.
If you can, please give your hands to help them.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am KAGEYAMA Asako, a NGO staff in Hokkaido, Japan.

We are very much worried about three Japanese citizens captured in Iraq.
Please let people know who they are and what kind of people they are
through your media.

TAKATO Nahoko and IMAI Noriaki are from my place, and we all know they are
active peace
worker and aid worker. Really, we feel they are a part of us.

We’ve been on street together against the war and occupation in solidarity
with Iraqi
people. Today, hundreds of us have been on streets, too, to appeal to the
public, collect
signatures to pull Japanese SDF back to Japan hoping our friends to be
release.

Nahoko has been taking care of the children in Baghdad, who lost their
families due to
the war. She has been doing so since last April. Those children were
living in basements
of broken buildings, and she provided them home. Many of them were
addicted to drugs
(thinner) for they were too hungry. She feeds, let them bathe, teach them
how to wash,
clean, cook and helps them to live as a member of community. She did this
all by
herself. She was on her way back to the orphans. For the children, she is
their mother.
They need her.

Noriaki is a promising and prominent young men of 18, just graduated from
his high
school. Since his school days, he was actively involved in the anti-war
and anti-DU
movement. Please understand his parents’ feelings. He is also our son and
brother. His
intention to go to Iraq was to report the truth of the war and occupation
to stop such
injustice. We cannot loose him, for he is our future also. Please imagine
what he can do
in his future. Today many of his friends were also on the street to
collect signatures.

It is also same for Koriyama Souichiro, photographer. He shares the same
intention as
Noriaki.

YOU ARE OUR HOPE.
PLEASE REPORT ABOUT THEM TO YOUR PEOPLE.

Respectfully Yours,

KAGEYAMA Asako
staff member of Hokkaido Asia, Africa, Latin America Solidarity Committee

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hokkaido Asia, Africa, Latin-America Solidarity Committee (Hokkaido AALA)
add./Koei-so, 21, N17 W3, Kita-ku, Sapporo,Hokkaido 001-0017 JAPAN
phone/+81-11-747-0977 fax/+81-11-717-0997
http://ha6.seikyou.ne.jp/home/AALA-HOKKAIDO
e-mail/ aala-hokkaido@ma6.seikyou.ne.jp