A Japanese official prays at a ceremony held Sept. 5 at the Japanese Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, in memory of two slain Japanese teachers.

Jun Fukusho, 44, and Shinobu Hasegawa, 30, were found dead Sept. 1.

"We have received sad news," the school's principal, Takuyuki Fujiwara, told the assembly of some 230 students and teachers. "I believe the two are expecting all of you to grow as human beings and lead your lives in a courageous manner."

The two teachers were last seen Aug. 8 after they checked out of a hotel in Quetta, western Pakistan, and told officers at an Afghan border checkpoint that they planned to visit the Bamiyan ruins in Afghanistan. They set off for Afghanistan in a taxi.

According to the doctor who examined the bodies of the two, both were apparently shot once in the head from close range and the bodies had been abandoned for about a month.

The Japan Times Weekly: Sept. 10, 2005
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