Reuters Journalist Junpei Yasuda, center, who was held hostage by Islamist militants for 40 months, arrives at Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture on Thursday.
NARITA, Chiba (Jiji Press) — Japanese freelance journalist Junpei Yasuda, who was released from militant captivity in Syria, arrived at Narita Airport near Tokyo on Thursday evening after leaving Turkey earlier that day.
Yasuda, 44, told the media on the plane from Istanbul that he was happy to be headed home.
On Wednesday evening, Yasuda left an immigration facility in Antakya in Hatay Province, southern Turkey, where he was put under protective custody after being freed from 40 months of captivity.
The journalist arrived at an airport in Hatay by car. He walked toward the departure lobby, with officials of the Turkish authorities supporting him by holding his arms.
Yasuda did not answer questions from reporters before getting on the plane. He flew to Istanbul for a transit stop.
A medical officer sent from Japan conducted a health checkup on Yasuda and found no particular problem, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
Yasuda was held hostage by Islamic militants soon after entering Syria from Antakya in June 2015 for reporting purposes. His release was announced on Tuesday.
