Journalist Yamamoto’s husband speaks out, shares final footage in Syria

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Adam Westlake in Features, National with 5 Comments
Journalist Yamamoto’s husband speaks out, shares final footage in Syria

Just days after the tragic death of Japanese journalist Mika Yamamoto in Syria, her news agency, Japan Press, has released some of the last video footage captured by her and her partner, Kazutaka Sato. Yamamoto was shot and killed in the city of Aleppo on Monday, August 20th, in a confrontation between rebels and soldiers. At 45, Yamamoto was experienced in covering wars, and served as a correspondent in numerous conflict zones like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Uganda. Mika’s father, Koji, a retired journalist, said that she strived to tell the story of vulnerable women and children suffering in war zones.

The two following videos were released by Japan Press, and have been published with English subtitles by The Telegraph. In the first we see that Yamamoto and Sato were traveling with Syrian rebel fighters, engaged in a civil war with the totalitarian government. This was the pair’s first time covering the conflict in Syria, and the footage shown of them inside the city was taken just before they were caught in crossfire.

The second video is the final reflections and thoughts of Kazutaka Sato, who was not just Yamamoto’s partner, but also her common-law husband. He is clearly distraught at having lost his wife and most loyal colleague who covered some of the world’s worst conditions with him. In a recent interview, Sato said that he was “fully responsible” for failing to protect her. The video shows Sato explaining how Yamamoto was only a few meters away from him when she was shot, and sadly ends with him saying that he is unable to explain in words all his feelings.

There is one final video I would like to share, but must warn that it is GRAPHIC and not safe for all ages. Syrian activists recorded Sato overlooking Yamamoto’s body at the hospital where they attempted to save her. As he leans close and presses his cheek against hers, he quietly utters “Why? You are wearing a flak jacket”, and when looking at her wound, he adds “That must hurt. Did you suffer?” This video is short, and does not contain the splashy blood and gore that you would find in a Hollywood movie, but you are able to CLEARLY SEE the severe wound to Yamamoto’s arm that was the cause of her death. If you think you can stand it, I would recommend watching.

[via The Lede]
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  • sd

    this is absolutely heartbreaking…

    • Cleo

      mm hmm she was covered in bullets just like the Chinese women and children Japanese shot up like it was a fun vacation.

      Bullets, ow.

  • Cleo

    THAT’s her live in boyfriend? So she “dated” her coworker? How convenient. Don’t call him her husband if he isn’t. It smears on social respect and a kind of self respect that neither of them possessed.

    • Aki

      You wouldn’t understand the term respect even if spelled to you every single day. Yes people date in 21 century and yes not all of them are married. How does that influence their character? You will find people that work in the same place and do have relationships it doesn’t mean is in exchange of favours of any sort. what do you think there is a long list of people that have the courage to be war journalists and they couldn’t because the two of them were dating?

      • Cleo

        yes, and Japanese working girls fall in love in the “Great Happiness Space”

        There is nothing respectful about invading China and going in uninvited into private homes, ripping the clothes off of respectable married women, grandmothers and virgin daughters and sons and raping them.

        You don’t have respect for anyone starting with yourself. You spy on others and steal personal information from them. It is the invader of privacy who is disrespectful. Akihito needs to be busted for using spy satellites to spy on QE2. And she has to break bread with him on her own property as if he is worth something to her.

        Any real gathering of the creme de la creme will never ever have Akihito on the guest list. But they do discuss you only because you are a mutual problem.