Kenji Goto
| Kenji Goto | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 後藤 健二 |
| Born |
23 October 1967 Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | 30 January 2015 (aged 47) Near Raqqa, Syria |
| Cause of death | Murder by decapitation |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Alma mater | Hosei University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1991–2015 |
| Spouse(s) | Rinko Jogo |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Junko Ishido (mother) |
Kenji Goto (後藤 健二 Gotō Kenji?, 23 October 1967 – 30 January 2015) was a Japanese freelance video journalist covering wars and conflicts, refugees, poverty, AIDS, and child education around the world. In October 2014, he was captured and held hostage by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants after entering Syria in the hopes of rescuing Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa. On 30 January 2015, he was beheaded by his captors following the breakdown of negotiations for his release.
Goto was born on 23 October 1967 in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from Hosei University in Tokyo in 1991, he worked for a media production company before establishing Independent Press in 1996. He also worked with U.N. organizations including UNICEF and the U.N. Refugee Agency.
Reporting from war-torn countries around the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East, he focused on the life and humanity of the ordinary citizens in difficult times. His works include books and DVDs on blood diamonds and child soldiers in Sierra Leone, the Rwandan conflict and its survivors, a teenage mother in an Estonian "AIDS village", and girls and education in Afghanistan. In 2006, he won the Sankei Children's Book Award for his 2005 book titled Daiyamondo yori Heiwa ga Hoshii (I Want Peace Rather Than a Diamond). His video reports appeared on Japanese national networks including NHK and TV Asahi.
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