[Mortimer Snavely]

Takahashi's web site brings up a "403 Forbidden" page. Going to the "ClubWee" site, I see a lot of typically adolescent cute smiling Japanes kids waving peace signs and a "What is your dream?" page.

I get the impression of new "koru garu" trend: ditzy Shibuya girl types trying to make a cute spectacle of themselves using the WOT as a vehicle.

My browser can't handle Japanese text, but I the html pages come up OK.

What's your take?

[AmericanInTokyo]

The Miss Takato (correct spelling--not "Takahashi") Japanese website is not accessible. The website itself is simply an umbrella site for Japanese to post their own individual sites below it. So since I cannot access her individual site, I really cannot tell where she is/was coming from.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I've looked into the background of the three kidnapped Japanese. Regarding the female, at this point, Ms. Takato does not seem to have anything strongly out there showing she was a 'so-called peace activist' against the US although she does have a website. It may be humanitarian only in nature, maybe not. Let's see. Something in her favor: It is true that she flew off to India quickly in the past to help them after a major disaster, and her actions looked more humanitarian than merely leftist/political. Her big thing as an NGO in Iraq was handing out food and helping Iraqi street children, some who had become addicted to drugs.

As for the first Japanese male, Mr. Koyama, it does not appear he too is particularly a peace activist (Rachel Corrie mold) from what I can see. Although he did do a Japanese photo spread of shots in "Palestine" so who knows what the political message was.

However, at the end of the day, I have the biggest reservations toward the second Japanese male, Imai-san. He is clearly an anti-American peace activist PRECISELY in the Rachel Corrie mode, who opposed the Iraq war and also Japan SDF troops being sent there, looking at his quotes and website material.

This all from Japanese web sources on the three I found just now. The US and foreign media is not bringing any of this up. Any one wonder why not????