The Islamic State (IS) released a video showing the beheading of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto Jogo. The one minute, seven second video was produced by al-Furqan Media Foundation, a major media arm of the group, and was distributed on Twitter on January 31, 2015.

Islamic State (IS)-linked Twitter accounts distributed a new video of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto Jogo, wherein he indicated that it would be his final message, and unless the Jordanian government frees Sajida al-Rishawi within 24 hours, he and captive Jordanian pilot Mu'adh al-Kasasibah will be executed.

Islamic State (IS)-linked Twitter accounts distributed a video in which Japanese hostage Kenji Goto Jogo stated that his fellow captive Haruna Yukawa was executed, and stipulated a new demand from the IS for his release.

The Islamic State's (IS) January 20 release of "A Message to the Government and People of Japan," a video demanding a ransom from the Japanese government for the lives of two Japanese citizens, has raised many questions—perhaps the most prevalent of which being, Why Japan?