Interview: Yoichi Watanabe

We were recently able to have a short phone interview with Yoichi Watanabe, a photo journalist and recent celebrity on Japanese talk shows. In his interview he was quite candid about his experiences in Afghanistan with the Afghan peoples.

Friends of Afghanistan: How did you get interested in Afghanistan and decide to go there?

Yoichi Watanabe: It is because I was curious about Afghanistan’s real situation compared to what was on TV and wanted to see it with my own eyes.

FA: Was there anything which made a strong impression on your visit to Afghanistan?

YW: I was impressed by kindness of the Afghan people and how much they value their family.

FA: What aspects of Afghanistan’s current condition do you want to let people know?

YW: Afghanistan is not only a battlefield. Its government and business have kept developing. I want people to know there is hope for the country.

FA: How do you think Afghanistan has been improving itself and how should it overcome difficulties it now faces?

YW: The education environment has been building and women’s chances of receiving education have been improving. Since multinational forces have left Afghanistan I’ve been feeling that the situation, which there are still a lot of conflicts in politics and among tribes, should improve.

FA: How do you want Afghan children’s views to be for the future?

YW: I want them to value its history and tradition and feel that Afghanistan is bound by rigid ties with Japan and the world.

FA: Were there any moments in with you felt moved by the Afghan people?

YW: I was impressed so many times. People pay great respect to elderly people and those who are in trouble. They are very kind and considerate to everyone.

FA: What do you feel was your role as a cameraman in Afghanistan? How do you want to contribute to the country?

YW: I can bridge a gap between people’s image and the way it actually is. I would like to make opportunities for people to get to know Afghanistan.

FA: What attitude do Afghans have toward Japanese people from your experiences?

YW: There are many Japonophiles in Afghanistan. I was glad to know that the people want to know Japan more. I could confirm that Afghanistan and Japan have a deep connection.