devastated. if i could dedicate my life it is only -- i am only a small existence. so i could preplace itreplace it. i just hope that all the people in the world would endear earth. >> i believe that if the people of the world including the people of the islamic religion can come together we can all work together to create peace throughout the world. i think we can work together to create a wonderful world and, as i've said repeatedly i'm more than willing to sacrifice my life if such a goal can be realized. i apologize for some of my remarks. i'm not terribly clever i'm not terribly smart. yet if you could please try to offer the advice and knowledge that so many of you have to help try to resolve this situation, i

would be so incredibly grateful. i would like to state clearly here that my son, kenji, is not an enemy of the people of the islamic faith. the peoples of the islamic faith. in fact he and i both share this great hope that people can stop hating each other and can work together for a common purpose. and i thank you so much for coming here. and i repeat again my life is a very small thing and not of great worth. if i can somehow offer my life up, i would pray that my son please be released because that would be a very very small sacrifice on my part. i believe as i've said

repeatedly that my son is very kind and has worked hard to try to create a better world, crete a better future to create better conditions for children. and i think if he is released and allowed to work he will continue to offer great contributions to the world. again, the islamic people are not enemies for my son. he is so interested and so devoted to learning more about and participating in the islamic world that he abandoned his two-week-old baby to fly to islamic nations. japan has had a long and difficult past after the end of the war. it's the only country in the world that has been subjected to nuclear bombing. but in spite of terrible past we have had there are people like me and like kenji who have continued to work for greater peace.

>> thank you. and thank you for coming here today for what must be a very difficult time for you. i wonder just first of all if you could tell us the last time -- oh i'm sorry. david mcneil for the "irish times." i wonder if you could tell us the last time that you had any communication from kenji and there have been reports in the japanese press that isis communicated directly with you in some way. i wonder if you can confirm that. thanks. [ speaking japanese ]

. >> translator: kenji is a very kind child to his parents, but he did not call me before he left, and the reason is probably he didn't want me to make me worried worried. another japanese is being captured, and maybe he thought that i would oppose to his decision. but i am not a person who would oppose to such decisions.

also today my acquaintance with relatives called me here and they said why are you attending this occasion and they told me that i should not attend this place but there are people who have gathered here and all of you here share the same thoughts with me i believe. not just wishing for the selfish happiness but i'm sure you're all wishing to try to protect this earth where all the people live. and i believe that you all share these wishes. so i've been turning down what

they're telling me. and also my father used to be military, and he went to the korean peninsula. and i'm sorry. i cannot find the word to express that. but he was a -- one of the top officials of the military and always he offered me a military car. and a triangle flag or banner and i always was able to use the

car. but now -- but now when i look at the photos of my old days my grandfather, he was an educator. my grandfarthther wore japanese sandals and visited me when we were in the korean peninsula and until very recently i felt that why grandfather came to the korean peninsula to visit us with such outfit. and i felt embarrassed. however, i found out that if he wore -- if he was dressed properly he would cause trouble or be opposed by his family members to come and visit. but grandfather wanted to visit

his son. and with that only thought he came all the way to korean peninsula from japan. and such feeling as a parent i can understand very much. and also all the mothers living on this earth, how do you feel right now, i wonder. the children that you raised with all the efforts, have been sent to the war. no mother would want to send your child to the battlefields. we should stop engaged in wars. even though we cannot eat rice

but eat wheat instead of the white rice i think it's worthwhile not to sending our child to the battlefield, but please send kenji. and i'm not just talking about my own son. children unicef and other organizations organizations. kenji has been thinking about children and also about the unicef. so if there is a chance i'm sure he would like to go all over the world and be engaged in the education of the children and also create nuclear energy. and that is the message that i would like to send to my son. so i'd like to sacrifice myself. >> sorry. again, my mind is quite

confused. so perhaps i'm speaking a little bit too much. but i believe that in this case before kenji, my son, decided to go abroad he did not contact me. and i think the reason for that is because he was very considerate of his parents' feelings and he probably thought we would be very anxious. and even though he was going for a very very important cause, to rescue his colleague, he thought perhaps that we might have opposed his going. but i'm not a mother that would have opposed his going. even today as i mentioned earlier, relatives, acquaintances have called the fccj before i came into this room saying i should not appear. but i believe what i'm saying, although it might seem to be ramage a little bitram rambling a little bit, i believe the feelings are shared in this room. there are people in this world who think perhaps of their own selves, their own interests, but i think the majority of people

in the world want to work together to create a better world. so i turned down the requests from my relatives and acquaintances and decided to appear here. i'd like to talk a little bit about my own personal experienced as a child. my father was a member of the military, and we lived for a time in the korean peninsula. i cannot recall now his title, but he was a very important official, a fairly important official in the military organization. i just remember as a child being taken to and from places in a car with a military triangular military banner at the front of the car. but when i look back at these old photos i come across for example, a photograph of my grandfather who came and visited us once but he came dressed in a very casual style with just his slippers sandals, and just regular clothes. and i remember thinking it was very embarrassing to see my father's father come dressed so simply. why didn't you dress up?

i remember asking. but he said if i had dressed up and made a big deal of things then everybody would have known that i was going to visit the korean peninsula and many people in my family would have opposed, but i wanted so much to be able to see my son. and at that time when i was a child i didn't understand what he was saying but now that i am a parent i understand the burning desire that a parent has to see one's child. but again, i'm speaking just of my own self but i believe mothers throughout the world, you spend so much time and enji and love raising a child you would do anything to protect that child. so i'm asking please you that save him but not only just to save him as an individual but as i've said before he has always worked very very hard to try to create a better future for future generations. if he is allowed to return he will continue his work for such organizations as unicef. he will work not only for japan but countries throughout the world to help better education for the next generation of children.

>> the italian government last week paid a ransom for freeing two italian girls that were held captive in syria. not to the isis. the ransom was more. but anyway would you point out to the government that not all the governments are re very strict in dealing with similar situations? thanks.

>> translator: i am from italy. and would you deliver a message to the japanese government? for example, would you want them to be as flexible as possible? in italy, my country, there was a recent report that in order to release several girls who were captured in syria, in order to have them released they paid ransom. although this was not islamic state and not the same organization. so for example, do you want to tell the japanese government that depending on a country there will be some countries who will be willing to pay ransom? would you be sending such message to the japanese government? >> >>. >> translator: yes. what kenji had done may be very

insignificant. however, he had left a two-week-old baby and left the country in order to save his own countryman. and so i hope -- i think that kenji did not go because of his kind kindness but because he had some different thoughts about the islamic state. the reason i say so is that he had dedicated himself. he was willing to sacrifice himself himself. and i think he believed that he'll be able to understand each other, even if he talked with the people in the islamic state.

because they're the same people on the earth. so i do hope the islamic people people in the islamic state, i believe that all the japanese people are in favor of the muslims. i was given the opportunity to speak out here at this auspicious venue and i could see that all the foreign correspondents are dedicateing their selves to their work. and so from that based on that i think there will be many many people in islamic state who will be supportive. so therefore, please, if that is the case please tell the japanese government so. and the japanese government because of kenji goto's activities, they had gone under

trouble and inconvenience. japan has experienced second world war, where children cried and their skin had peeled off. and after that japan surrendered unconditionally. so we might be able to understand the people's feelings out there to protect the earth. if i could offer my life to replace that i am willing to do so. if i could create a beautiful earth. and to create a wonderful future for the children as we foster educators. i bleevelieve if we do so children will be able to learn the importance of not fighting and

who would dedicate themselves for peace. >> it is out of place for me to say such grand things but i believe very very strongly that the goals that my son had and the goals that i have for the world are very very important. kenji is a person who took actions that some may criticize as having been foolish. again, i point out to the fact that he abandoned his two-week-year-old -- two-week-old baby to try to rescue a colleague, a japanese colleague at that. and i think it was not simply that he had a kind heart that he made this decision. i think he realized the dangers he was facing that he was risking all to go to this very very dangerous place. but i think the reason he made this great decision was that he felt in his heart that if he were able to speak with the

people of these islamic nations, of these organizations that they would be able to understand each other, that they would understand that people are all the same that humanity all has the same goals and if we could all work together we could create a better world. again, i would like to explain to the islamic people of the world that all japanese have fundamentally a very positive and friendly feelings toward islamic nations. again, i feel so honored and very humbled to be speaking just an ordinary person at such an important place. and i am so moved by the fact so many journalists, especially from many foreign nations, are working so hard to try to find information to help my son. and i believe it is not only people in this room that are working hard but i think many people in the islamic nations are trying very very hard to try to resolve the situation. and if these people could please speak up and perhaps try to communicate with the japanese

government and try to help resolve the situation and save my son, it would be very very grateful. i know i keep talking about things that seem sort of not directly related to this issue. however, we are a nation that has experienced world war ii and i have experienced in my own life great suffering. i know how terrible it is to experience war and conflict. i've seen people with their skin falling off because they have been the victims of such great conflict. i think again that i have tried to raise my children in a way that they think about the future, they think about the importance of protecting the world. and i hope that other people who feel the same way will join me in trying to help create a better world and trying to resolve this situation. >> okay. we have several hands going up at the same time. so i'm going to go to joel and then richard lloyd parry.

thank you. >> joel giamb, rtl france radio and television. the tears of a mother are certainly the most heartbreaking thing for anyone. and we know islam respect women. they said so. and in france this became a symbol of people gathering together to try to fight for freedom and respect of life. the tears of a mother is maybe the best weapon you have today to try to talk to them and tell them those people who hold your kid to liberate him. could you make a statement that is not just something you read but from the bottom of your heart to try to gain the liberation? >> translator: i am from the radio in france. i think the tears of mother is really heartbreaking.

and the muslim believers are said to respect women. and in my country france people express their feelings through demonstrations. and this is a very special opportunity today. and i'm sure you have many papers prepared but i believe that the tears of mother is the strongest weapon of all. so i'd like to hear your feelings from the bottom of your heart. i would like to -- we would like to hear your thoughts -- your message to the captors of the islamic state. to the captures. your message to the captors of your son as a mother.

>> translator: i would like to ask to the people of the islamic state, kenji goto my son, loves to teach things to his small children and also give instructions to young people. and this is the best thing that he can do. and he does not dislike the muslim but he believe in the otherwise. so if he can come back safely to japan he would work together with the muslim countries and also tell that their countries

with such technologies, technological power, and also there are people who love the utmost priority on the children and also there are people like all of you who are assembled here today. so -- and i'm sure he has -- he is learning the language in the middle east. so he will work for the global peace and also would try to learn. and i would like to make him a young man like that. kenji has gone to rescue his friend. he departed in order to save his friend. and ever since he was a child he has always been a kind to weaker children.

>> i want to have -- i want to take this opportunity to make a deep request to the people of islamic nations. our son kenji goto is a person who has devoted his life and who is very, very adept at being able to teach young children. it brings some of the greatest joy in his life to be able to guide and educate children from a very young age until they enter college. he is not -- if there is any misunderstanding, he is not in any way against the islamic faith. he is the opposite of such a person. he has great respect and has great fondness and interest and is fascinated by the nations of islam. i believe he thinks from the bottom of his heart that if the islamic world and the japanese nation can come together and deepen their friendships the world will become a better place. there are many nations of the

world, many kinds of people in the world. some people have great knowledge. some people have great skill. some people are more advanced in terms of technologies. and some people just think about the future happiness of children. i ask that my son please be allowed to return because i believe that after his experiences he probably will have come back having learned more of your languages and more about your cultures. and i think he will be able to pass that knowledge on to the children and young people that he guides and educates in japan. i repeat again, he has no hatred, no feelings of enmity toward the islamic nations. he only went to rescue a friend. that is the kind of person that he was. from a very young age he has always looked out for weak people. even if he was a child he would always take care of a child who was weaker than him. that is his greatest goal in life, to create a better world for everyone.

>> richard lloyd parry of the "times." in 1977 prime minister fukada paid a large ransom to some hijackers. and at the time he famously said that the life of a human being is heavier than the whole world. don't you think that prime minister abe should take the same approach and pay the demanded ransom to save your son and mr. yukawa? >> the i'm from the "times" in the uk. in 1977 when a hijack incident took place which i think you remember, at that time the prime minister was mr. fukuda and actually he paid a large amount of ransom to the hijackers.

to release the hostages. and at that time although there was some criticism against him paying ransom what the prime minister said is the life of a human being is heavier than the world. so do you think that mr. abe should be reminded of such words? >> translator: yes

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