A TV Cameraman’s memoir – "Rescue of Yasuko Naito" Part 2

By Hideki AKIYAMA

JPN

<Mrs. Naito, who was under the protection of the Vietnamese military>

Yasuko Naito, whom the Vietnamese government had been "searching" for, was in a town called Sisophon, near the Thai border. At the time of the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime, Mrs. Naito, who was in northern Cambodia, managed to evade Khmer Rouge soldiers and had escaped to this town, where her adopted family's home was located. She showed a Japanese passport to the town officials and pleaded, "I am Japanese. And I want to go back to Japan." After a while, Mrs. Naito was protected by the Vietnamese military. Although under the surveillance of Vietnamese soldiers, she was treated well and had no difficulties with her meals.

This situation continued for about four months. As Mrs. Naito grew increasingly worried and anxious, unsure of when she might return to Japan, the father of her adopted daughter proposed that she illegally cross the border into Thailand with him. After much consideration, Mrs. Naito decided against crossing the border and instead wrote a letter to the Japanese government requesting her rescue, which she entrusted to the father. This letter eventually reached a media contact through the family of her adopted daughter, who had successfully crossed the border. It was then relayed to the Japanese Red Cross, leading to her rescue.

On June 17, she was taken to Siem Reap airport and handed a photo by a Vietnamese officer. On the back of the picture was Japanese writing that read, "Yasuko Naito, 46 years old." Upon seeing the writing, Mrs. Naito reportedly broke down in tears, saying, "I’m saved now." She was then taken by helicopter to Phnom Penh by the Vietnamese military.

<The interview and Equipment in those days>

“We filmed Mrs. Naito’s arrival at Phnom Penh airport as she got off the helicopter. She asked, "Are you Japanese?" We responded, "Are you Mrs. Yasuko Naito?" The noise from the helicopter was loud, so conversations at the airport were minimal. After returning to the hotel, the interview began immediately.”

In addition to recording the interview audio, Mr. Suzuki had a task unique to the equipment of that time: changing the film. Despite the excitement over Naito’s survival, Mr. Suzuki was overwhelmed by his technical responsibilities.

The main focus of this coverage was to conduct a relatively long interview with Mrs. Naito. However, at that time, the standard Arri Flex ST camera used for news coverage could only hold 100 feet of film, which lasted for 3 minutes. Although there was 400 feet of film available, which lasted 12 minutes, it required external magazines for film feeding and rewinding. Ultimately, they decided to use the 100 feet of film, and the crew devised a solution to ensure the interview proceeded smoothly.

<Filming Conditions at the Time: Sound as a Bonus?>

“At that time, documentary production focused primarily on images, with sound being a secondary consideration. Unlike today’s video cameras, which record both video and sound with the press of a button, images and sound had to be recorded separately. We introduced a revolutionary cassette tape recorder, as large open-reel tape recorders were previously the norm for recording sound. With cassette tapes, audio equipment had become about a third of the size.

Editing involved matching sound roughly based on the movement of the speaker's mouth. Since there were no shotgun microphones and ambient noise was often recorded, sound clarity was less than ideal. Important sections of the work were often supplemented with narration.”

<The Hassle of Changing Film>

At that time, cine film came in rolls of 100 feet, 200 feet, and 400 feet, with 100 feet providing 3 minutes of footage, 200 feet 6 minutes, and 400 feet 12 minutes.

The Arri Flex cameras that Mr. Suzuki and his team used could only load 100 feet of film. To ensure smooth filming of the interview, they operated two cameras: while one was filming, the other’s film was being changed. When the film ran out every 3 minutes, the cameraman quickly switched to the loaded camera to minimize interruptions.

<Arri Flex ST 16mm Camera>

“As an assistant at that time, my main job was changing the film. Film loading was done in well-lit areas, but care had to be taken to prevent the changed film from being exposed to light. The 100-foot film was protected by an iron plate, about 10 cm in diameter, to shield it from light, making the process relatively easy. However, the 400-foot film did not have this iron plate, so all loading and removal had to be done in a dark bag.

While the tightly wound film rarely caused issues during loading, the removed film, which could become loosely wound, required great care to prevent it from tangling into a spiral, making it difficult to handle.”

<Alternating Between Two Cameras>

“Fortunately, with Arri Flex cameras, changing the film was a bit easier. We brought in two cameras, with one as a spare. During the interview, we alternated between them to ensure we didn’t miss any crucial moments, such as emotional reactions or tears.

However, I made a major mistake. After loading the film, I did not lock the lid properly. As a result, when I lifted the camera, the lid fell off. Although the Arri Flex was known for its durability, it sustained damage: a 1 cm section of the groove that aligned with the camera body broke off, allowing light to enter. I panicked but convinced myself that as long as no light got in, it would be okay. I used black vinyl tape to cover the damaged area and managed to continue.

This camera was borrowed from NHK. After the interview, when I reported the damage to the NHK director, who was excited about the success of the interview, he simply said, 'It's okay, it's okay,' and did not complain. Since no” light leaks” were reported during the editing phase, I believe the tape-covering strategy was successful.

The cassette tape for recording sound had a 60-minute capacity, so there were no issues with leaving the microphone on the table. Since lapel microphones were not available at the time, the sound quality was not very clear. Additionally, the camera motor noise was significant, so looking back, it seems the sound served more as a formality to prove that the interview took place.”

<I didn’t Remembered the details of the interview well>

“Since I was preoccupied with changing the film, I barely recall the content. However, I do remember a few fragments.

Mrs. Naito mentioned that when the Khmer Rouge arrived in Phnom Penh, people were instructed to evacuate immediately under the pretext of American bombings, which led to forced relocations. In the early stages, those who had loaded their belongings into cars soon ran out of gasoline and had to start walking with their possessions.”

She also recounted that at the relocation sites, those taken away in ox carts never returned. The sound of the squeaky ox carts at night was particularly terrifying.

”Mrs. Naito described burning straw to make a kind of sweet similar to yokan (a Japanese jelly dessert) using the heat of ashes.”

”Additionally, the shock of relocation caused her hair to turn gray, and she was considered elderly, which led to her being assigned the relatively lighter task of collecting fuel in the form of cow dung. Initially, there was plenty of cow dung available nearby, but over time, she had to travel further to gather it.”

”Mrs. Naito discussed various aspects of her experience, but I was so overwhelmed by the joy of the successful coverage that I ended up with only vague recollections of the interview’s content.”

<The Ransacked House of Memorie

“Later, we visited Mrs. Naito’s house and the town where she had lived. The house had been ransacked: bedding was slashed, and flower pots were broken. When the residents of Phnom Penh were forcibly relocated, they had hidden gold and jewels in their homes, hoping to retrieve them upon their return. As a result, the house had been looted by people searching for valuables. Mrs. Naito stood in her destroyed home, stunned and likely resigned to her fate.

As an aside, numerous massacre sites were discovered in Phnom Penh, where unearthed skulls were found neatly arranged. This was consistent across all sites. I later learned that the skulls were separated to search for gold teeth, which is why only skulls were collected. About a year after the Khmer Rouge regime was overthrown, I also witnessed people digging and examining skulls under the television tower in the Toul Kork area (where Mrs. Naito’s home was)”

<Mrs. Naitoto Wanted to Go to a Beauty Salon>

“When I later saw Yasuko Naito in Bangkok, I could hardly believe it was the same person from that time. After spending about half a month in Phnom Penh, she traveled to Ho Chi Minh City on July 5, then went through Hanoi and Vientiane before finally arriving in Bangkok, where she was able to fulfill her long-held wish to visit a beauty salon."

Naito Yasuko passed away on August 30, 1982, three years after returning to Japan, ending her turbulent 49-year life.

End

Part 1 of a TV Cameraman’s Post-War History of Vietnam:

"Rescue of Yasuko Naito Part One"

References：

Bungeishunju Bunko Edition: "War and Days of Confusion ~ Tragedy in Indochina" (Koichi Kondo)

For detailed information on shooting with an Arri Flex camera, see the video clip below: https://youtu.be/qcTn6BEx5tU

The photo of the film compornent is from here :

https://jp.pinterest.com/pin/130322982937028580/