On January 25, 2015 at the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Abe convened a meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Warning of Japanese Nationals' Execution in Syria
The Prime Minister made the following remarks in his opening statement there.
“An image in which Mr. Haruna Yukawa seems to have been murdered, was uploaded online. Fully aware of unbearable pain and sorrow that his family must be feeling, I am simply left speechless. Such act of terrorism is outrageous and impermissible, which causes me nothing but strong indignation. Thus I express resolute condemnation. Also, I strongly demand that Mr. Kenji Goto not be harmed and be immediately released.
  The government will make its utmost efforts to address this situation by utilizing all diplomatic channels and routes to the greatest possible extent, in cooperation with relevant countries and others.  Japan will continue to contribute actively to efforts by the international community to fight terrorism, cooperating with countries around the world and never yielding to terrorism.
I ask that you, the ministers responsible for areas relevant to this matter, continue to exhibit strong leadership and continue to work to gather and synthesize accurate information while dedicating your utmost efforts to promptly resolving this situation, prioritizing human life above all else.  Moreover, I ask that you strengthen cooperation with relevant countries and take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals both domestically and abroad.”