Many people consider Abe, slain hostages troublemakers

In Japan, where conformity takes precedence over individuality, one of the most important values is to avoid meiwaku - causing trouble for others.

And sympathy aside, the two Japanese murdered by the Islamic State group are now widely viewed as troublemakers.

So is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Many Japanese feel that if the hostages had not ignored warnings against travel to Syria, or if Abe had not showcased Tokyo's support for the multinational coalition against IS, Japan would not have been exposed to a new sense of insecurity and unwelcome attention from Islamic extremists.