Senior Vice Foreign Minister Ichiro Aisawa suggested Wednesday that the government was not responsible for the heavy criticism three Japanese hostages in Iraq received on returning to Japan after their release, and reiterated that Japanese traveling abroad should be responsible for their own safety.

Aisawa suggested that criticism of the three was caused by one's remark immediately after their release that she hopes to continue working in Iraq despite the hostage-taking incident. Despite saying that Japanese citizens should be responsible for their own safety when traveling abroad, Aisawa said the Japanese government will still be responsible for securing their safety. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=296862

Those Japanese should've known it was unsafe for them to go to Iraq. Guess it's their own fault.

Exactly. On top of that they were told not to go and they disobey the government.