The mother of hostage Kenji Goto said Thursday she is pinning all her hopes on the government of Shinzo Abe, as she believes he can bring her son home alive.

"Japan is a smart country. I have a 100 percent faith in (the nation's) ability to protect its own people," Junko Ishido told reporters at her home in Koganei, west Tokyo. "I don't think Prime Minister Abe is the kind of person who would sit back and watch his fellow (citizen) die.

"Nor do I think he would ever do anything that would work against my son's safe return. I believe he is totally capable of solving the crisis," Ishido said. "Having faith in his ability to save Japanese people from trouble is all I can do."