. >> reporter: he is a retired employee at jgc corporation in yokohame. he visited the company to pay respects to a colleague who died in the algerian crisis. tadanori was a top adviser of the jgc corporation. the two men attended the same college. they worked on many of the same projects. their desks faced each other. he remembers how devoted he was to get his work done often working on his days off. >> translator: he always worked hard on a new project. his clients thought highly of his work. i think that was not just because of his ability but also for his sincere approach and strong desire to be successful. >> reporter: he became involved in the algerian project three years after joining jgc. he went on to lead many other projects around the world. he became a top adviser for the firm last june. he was deeply moved by his friend's death. he has decided to return to jgc because he says he still had many things to accomplish. >> translator: i hope to work as long as possible by carrying out his wishes. >> reporter: many people have been moved by the dea

thousands have visited jgc headquarters to pay their respects. they have said prayeres and left flowers. some have sent letters. they didn't consider the deceased as just engineers. they believed they were helping to develop the algerian economy and, therefore, helping the algerian people. jgc corporation had kept the presence in the country for more than 40 years, even during the civil war in the 1990s. the story has inspired other japanese to make a change. shingo takahashi works as a systems engineer. he recently visited the international cooperation agency. the 38-year-old has been looking for a chance to take part in development work overseas. >> translator: the victims worked hard and risked their lives. i do not understand why they were killed. i may not be able to do much, but i would like to contribute to international society as much as possible. >> takahashi and many others in japan don't want the workers to have died for nothing. they want to honor them. with their words and their actions. nhk world tokyo. >>> frustrated japanese offi