The Preah Vihear Temple, built by the Khmer Empire, is located on a 525-metre (1720 ft) cliff in the Dangrek Mountains along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, was registered as Cambodia's second UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

However, a border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which had long disputed the territorial rights around the temple with deep historical roots, flared up after the temple was registered as a World Heritage Site, and military forces from both countries confronted each other along the border. As a result, several military clashes occurred between 2008 and 2011. Soldiers and civilians on both sides were killed or wounded in the clashes, and tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate to safety. "A Soldier's Rest" is one of several images taken during those tensions. When I visited one of the Cambodian soldiers' garrisons, one young Cambodian soldier was resting with a kitten in a tent. The soldier told me that the kitten comes to his tent every day. I felt as if the kitten was comforting the soldier. He said, "The World Heritage Site should be a symbol of peace. I hope the border dispute will be resolved soon." I felt that his words were the heartfelt wish of the Cambodian people, who know all the tragedy of war.

Before I enter the field, I learn about the social issues surrounding my subjects. And I go to the field not just once, but many times to deepen mutual understanding and trust. When I take pictures of them, I respect their dignity and press a shutter button with the belief that photojournalism will help create a better society.

I think that one of the components of an outstanding photojournalism image is that it should contain a message that reflects the society of the time. It also requires good insight and judgment to seize opportunities.

I think that photography on cell phones is one of the good opportunities to start learning photography in earnest. I also think that the evolution of the camera function of cell phones has the potential to enable everyone to capture moments of historical matters. That's why I think this is a time when photographers' abilities are being tested.

I lived in Cambodia for 11 years. Living close to the people allowed me to understand their way of thinking and to build mutual trust. By going to the field many times, I felt like I became a part of their family. By doing so, I had many opportunities to capture their emotions in my photographs, which had a positive impact on my photography. There were many things I could not have learned just by reading books. It was the real fields that taught me the truth.

W. Eugene Smith and Michael Nichols.

I hope one day to work with the Cambodian people to create a place where young Cambodians can learn various fields of photography. This is because there are still few such opportunities in Cambodia. And in recent years, freedom of the press has been suppressed in Cambodia for political reasons. Photography is an important tool for conveying reality to the people. I want to contribute to the creation of a just society in Cambodia through photography.

My hometown, Akita Prefecture, has the largest number of nationally designated important intangible folk cultural assets in Japan, so I would like to photograph all of them. This is because there is a possibility that these precious cultures will cease to exist in the future due to aging and depopulation. And it has been about 20 years since I started covering Cambodia, where I began my career as a photojournalist. I would like to continue photographing Cambodia and publish a new photo book.