Family members of Shosei Koda pleaded for his release while government officials continued seeking information Friday, hours after the supposed deadline set by his abductors in Iraq had passed.

``My brother was not politically motivated, nor did he go to Iraq for the Self-Defense Forces,'' Maki Koda, the older brother of the hostage, told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan in Tokyo. ``I believe that all he wanted to do was come in contact with the people and try to see what he could do for the people there.''

Government officials said Friday they were still trying to locate the 24-year-old tourist from Fukuoka Prefecture who was last seen on a video clip shown on a militant Islamic Web site Wednesday morning. A hooded man in the video said Koda would be beheaded if Japan did not withdraw its troops within 48 hours.

Based on the time the video was shown, Japanese officials believe the deadline was around 2 a.m. Friday. Japan has rejected the militants' demand.

``We have still not received any information that ties directly to his whereabouts, but we are working on the assumption that he is still alive and we have not received any information to negate that,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said.

Koda's abductors are believed to be led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The hostage-takers have not contacted the Japanese government nor mentioned Koda on the Web site since the death threat.

A report Friday out of Iraq said a body believed to be Asian was discovered in Tikrit, north of Baghdad. However, authorities in Tikrit confirmed the body was that of an Iraqi.

The driver of the bus that took Koda from Jordan to Baghdad on Oct. 21 explained how he and the passengers tried to conceal Koda's presence to prevent an attack by terrorists. The driver said no foreigners had taken the bus to Baghdad in months.

Fearing an attack, the driver told Koda to remain in the bus when it stopped for food and drinks near the Iraqi border. He even handled immigration procedures for Koda at the border.

However, the border inspector insisted on meeting with Koda. The driver and five passengers formed a cordon around Koda so he would be concealed from onlookers. Once the interview was over, the driver decided to wait until daybreak rather than trying to drive into Iraq at night.

In Baghdad, the driver asked another driver to take Koda to the Casablanca Hotel. Koda had written the hotel's name on a piece of paper and asked Iraqis for help in locating it.

His mother, Setsuko Koda, said in Tokyo that she would not give up hope.

``I believe that he will return safely to us and that he will do something worthy for this world,'' she said, sobbing. ``His name Shosei comprises the characters for `life' and `proof.' I believe he will leave his mark.''(IHT/Asahi: October 30,2004) (10/30)