junko ishidou is the mother of freelance journalist kenji goto. >> translator: over the last three dare days i've been grieving and confused. kenji was a very tender and warm hearted child. he was very kind to other children. so i think he decided to go to help his friend, leaving behind his wife and newborn baby. >> she said her son always expressed his desire to save children in war zones and took a neutral position in his reporting. >> translator: kenji always fights for justice. if he is released, i'm sure that he will contribute to creating a better world for children around the world and their future. i'd like to say to all the people of islamic state that kenji is not your enemy. please, release him. >> she also pleaded with the japanese government to save her son's life. >>> our gene otani spoke earlier with hossaka, a senior research fellow at the institute of energy commission, japan. he's a specialist in the middle east and has been following the islamic state. >> mr. osaka, what is the current situation of the hostage crisis? >> well, the situation is very critical. i am ver

junko ishidou is the mother of freelance journalist kenji goto. >> translator: over the last three days i've been grieving, and confused. kenji was a very tender and warm-hearted child. he was very kind to other children. so i think he decided to go to help his friend leaving behind his wife and newborn baby. >> she said her son always expressed his desire to save children in war zones, and took a neutral position in his reporting. >> translator: kenji always fights for justice. if he is released i'm sure that he will contribute to creating a better world for children around the world, and their future. i'd like to say to all the people of islamic state that kenji is not your enemy. please, release him. >> she also pleaded with the japanese government to save her son's life. >>> before goto disappeared, he told his guide he was heading to raqqah in northern syria. he said he was hoping to get information about yukawa. >> translator: al adeem al zaeem was his guide in syria. >> he want to try to get some news or information about his friend, mr. yukawa. and also he want to go to make rep