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(THE ASAHI SHIMBUN) Japan is strengthening its anti-terrorist measures in the aftermath of the string of Nov. 13 terrorist attacks across Paris that left more than 120 people dead and hundreds injured.
Speaking to reporters in Istanbul where he was visiting, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Nov. 14, "We will handle domestic anti-terrorist measures with a heightened sense of urgency. We will also take every measure to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals abroad."
No Japanese were reported killed or injured in the Paris attacks that came on a Friday night as people were attending a soccer game and a concert and gathering at cafes and restaurants.
Abe added that he instructed Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga to carry out his instructions about heightened anti-terrorist measures.
Abe also expressed his condolences to all the victims and bereaved family members and said Japan would stand firm with the French government and people in their fight against terrorism.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the National Police Agency on Nov. 14 instructed prefectural police departments around the nation to increase security at facilities with ties to France, including the French Embassy in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
The Metropolitan Police Department assigned riot police to the vicinity of the French Embassy.
The NPA also issued instructions for a thorough collecting of terrorist intelligence in Japan as well as cooperating with operators of concert halls and other facilities where large crowds could congregate to tighten security.
An NPA official said no information had been obtained that a French facility in Japan had been targeted for an attack.
Institut Francais du Japon-Tokyo set up a table at its academy in Shinjuku Ward on Nov. 14 where visitors could write messages to the victims of the Paris attacks.
Among the messages written in Japanese and French on Nov. 14 were ones that said, "I am saddened at what has happened" and "Terrorism can never be allowed."
A memorial ceremony was held at the facility in January when the office of a French weekly satirical newspaper was stormed by Muslim extremists, leaving 17 people dead.
Ami Maruyama, 38, is the editor in chief of the monthly magazine Furansu, published by Hakusuisha Publishing Co., which introduces various aspects of the French language and culture.
"I feel very confused because I cannot make sense of what happened," she said.
Indicating a special section on the terrorist attacks was being considered for a future issue, she added, "We want to convey the background to the attacks from various perspectives."
The Le Bataclan concert hall, where many of the victims were killed, has been used in the past for performances by such artists as J-pop idol Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and the trio Perfume.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu uploaded the "Pray for Paris" message that appeared on the Internet on her own Twitter account.
"I cannot believe that so many people were killed at a place that has a special place in my heart," she wrote. "It is just too sad."
