Announcement of Online Reading Session for "Investigation: 'Islamic State' Hostage Crisis"

Shosukabu Dotcom Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nerima-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Yutaka Yamanaka; hereinafter "the Company") will host a book reading session themed on "Investigation: 'Islamic State' Hostage Crisis" (written by the Asahi Shimbun Reporting Team). This event is co-hosted with the Nerima Politics Study Group and the Civil Division 8 Oversight Committee.

Published by Iwanami Shoten in 2015, the book is a record examining the detention of Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa in Syria. It explores why they were detained, how the Japanese government responded, and the limitations faced in negotiations and information gathering.

A key feature of this book is that it does not merely look back at the incident as a tragedy but multi-dimensionally questions Japan's counter-terrorism response, crisis management, the "self-responsibility" discourse, and the role of the media. While the hostage crisis shocked Japanese society, its background involved a complex interplay of Middle Eastern affairs, ISIS strategies, constraints on Japanese diplomacy, and a lack of information. Based on investigative reporting, this book reconstructs the overall picture and provides material for objective analysis rather than emotional reactions.

In this session, discussions will center on the timeline of the incident, the government's response, counter-terrorism policy, media reporting during crises, the issue of self-responsibility, and the sense of distance between international conflict and Japanese society. We aim to provide a valuable place for learning and dialogue for those interested in international politics, Middle Eastern affairs, security, journalism, and democracy.

*The book can be found at Iwanami Shoten, Amazon, Maruzen Junkudo, etc.

**Author Profile: Asahi Shimbun Reporting Team** This book is the result of collective investigative reporting by the Asahi Shimbun team. Bibliographic info: Published in 2015, 243 pages.

**Event Overview** - Theme: "Investigation: 'Islamic State' Hostage Crisis" Reading Session - Organizer: Shosukabu Dotcom Co., Ltd. - Co-organizers: Nerima Politics Study Group, Civil Division 8 Oversight Committee - Date: Late May 2026 (Planned) - Format: Online via Zoom - Fee: Free (Pre-registration required) - How to apply: Email [email protected] with the subject "Request for Participation in 'Islamic State' Hostage Crisis Reading Session."

**Lecturer Profile: Yutaka Yamanaka** Born in December 1976, Yutaka Yamanaka is a representative activist investor of the '76 generation, an art collector, philanthropist, political sponsor, election consultant, policy advisor, social activist, and Akita dog enthusiast. Internationally recognized as a "technology-savvy activist investor," he is the first Japanese individual in history to amass over 150 billion yen in assets solely through investment.

In the early 2010s, he focused on NVIDIA, which develops semiconductors for GPGPU and AI, investing approximately 2 billion yen and realizing over 100 times return, becoming the first Japanese pure investor to enter the billionaire ranks. He graduated as valedictorian from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo, holds a Master's degree in Financial Engineering from Columbia University, and studied at the London School of Economics (LSE). Currently, he is a shareholder in over 1,000 listed and 200 unlisted companies worldwide, including AI startups in Israel, healthcare ventures in Nigeria, and battery manufacturers in Taiwan.

Drawing from his childhood experiences with dyslexia and ADHD, he established a support program for children with learning disabilities, modeled after Charles Schwab. He is also the founder of various political organizations, including the "Association to Establish a Constitutional Court in Japan" and the "Yamanaka Hoya Political and Economic Academy."