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Report on Cambodia Study Tour (2023)

2024年3月11日更新

Visit to JICA Cambodia Office

From August 22 to August 29, 2023, a study tour to Cambodia was conducted as part of the course “Practicum for Convivial Global Society FY2023”.

In the study tour, we visited three cities, Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, Takeo, located in the south and bordering Vietnam, and Siem Reap, an archaeological city famous for its World Heritage, Angkor. In Phnom Penh, we visited JICA Cambodia Office, an elementary school, Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. In Takeo, we visited the office and farmers cooperating with ‘ecologgie Inc.’ and conducted interviews. In Siem Reap, we had discussions with students studying at a vocational training center and visited Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.

Exchange program with CJCC students

One of the most memorable moments of the study tour was when I stepped into a market where local people gathered and felt the local culture and the way of life. I was able to visit several markets in each city, including the Russian Market and the Orussey Market in Phnom Penh. Particularly, visiting the morning market full of local foods such as vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, insects, and spices had been a great experience and helped me to understand Cambodia’s food culture. Also, I feel that the successful completion of our 8-day study tour owes a lot to the generous support and kind personalities of our guide, Mr. Vuthy, and the driver, Mr. Nam. I would like to express my gratitude to both of them again.

As I was conducting research focusing on the memories of people who lived during the Pol Pot regime, Mr. Vuthy and I often talked on the bus during our travels and in our spare time. As Mr. Vuthy recounted his experience during the Pol Pot regime, he confided to me that sometimes he thinks it’s a dream to be alive right now. I still wonder how sincerely I can confront and realize the seriousness of the words he confided. Mr. Vuthy’s words showed the intense physical and mental trauma he had and the scenery of Cambodia during the Pol Pot regime. Also, I encountered many views through the bus window that Mr. Nam drove. I can still remember the moment I felt the reality of Cambodian people’s lives which I had seen through photographs and videos during the pre-study in Japan. I saw women selling raw meat from food stalls along the road in the morning and boys relaxingly swaying in the hammocks at noon. During the five-hour drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the scenery gradually changed from urban to rural. On the way to the restaurants for breakfast, local people gathered around the bus I was on, and women and children came to sell fruits and other products through the bus windows. In Phnom Penh, the capital, there were skyscrapers and large shopping malls, motorbikes and tuk-tuks clogged the streets in the morning, and at night, the beautiful city lights lit up the windows of the cars. Thanks to the kind consideration of Mr. Vuthy and Mr. Nam, the time spent on the bus seeing the diverse ‘faces’ of Cambodia had been a very special experience for me.

Throughout the study tour in Cambodia, we came across many people, too many to list here, who helped us with our research (interview). On the day of a discussion with local students of the Royal University of Phnom Penh at CJCC, I remember one girl giving me a hair clip that she treasured. Due to the different languages and customs, conducting interviews in the way that I had planned was not an easy task. However, I had the impression that the student’s act of giving me a present that she had cherished was a simple act of friendship, as if there were no difference in language, country, or culture. I gained new perspectives and experienced the power of building deep relationships through communication. The memories of the Cambodian people I met during the study tour can sometimes provide me with emotional support as I strive to live my own life. I hope to see all the people I met on this study tour again one day, somewhere in the future.

（Nanami HIRAKO, second-year student, Department of Languages and Culture, Faculty of Letters and Education）

Interviews with farmers in Takeo
An early morning market visit in Takeo

Visit to the Russian Market in Phnom Penh
The early morning views of Angkor Wat