The reason why German and Japanese participation gets attention
is because that sort of thing is so rare. To the best of my knowledge, Japan's commitment of ships and logistics support is the first time they've taken part in military action since WWII. That's news. Likewise, Germany has only sent troops outside their country once or twice since the war (I think they sent troops to Bosnia). France has been active many times over the years so the fact they're participating isn't as big a story as Germany and Japan.
For the record, I welcome the support of all who're willing to work with us against terrorism. We're all in this together.