Japan said Thursday it was investigating footage of a man identifying himself as a Japanese journalist believed missing in Syria, who appeared to be speaking under duress and seeking the government's help, AFP reports.
The government is sensitive to any news of possible Japanese captures abroad after "Islamic State" (ISIS) terrorists last year claimed to have beheaded war correspondent Kenji Goto, a week after the group also said it killed Haruna Yukawa, a self-styled contractor.
The video of Jumpei Yasuda, widely shown on Japanese TV news programs Thursday, was also available on Facebook.