The news that hostage Shosei Koda was found dead in Iraq was met with sympathy Sunday on the streets of Tokyo, but for many people interviewed by The Japan Times, the grief was tempered by the belief that the government was right in not succumbing to terrorists.

Near JR Tokyo Station, Masataka Suzuki, a 27-year-old company employee from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, said he felt sorry for Koda's family but added that it was a matter of taking responsibility for oneself.

"He must have been aware of the possibility (of being kidnapped) when he went to Iraq," he said. "So we have no choice but to accept (his death)."