MRS. TAKAYAMA KAZUKO (MRS. HIM PHEARP)
BORN IN 1959 IN BATTAMBANG, LIVES IN KANAGAWA

In 1977, Phearp met her former classmate who lived in a neighbouring village. He requested to Angka that he would like to marry Phearp. This was not something she could oppose during the Khmer Rouge. Her then future husband was working on land measurement for the regime. One night, under Angka’s watchful eyes, they wedded, along with 15 other couples. There was no ceremony, only the showing of faces between husbands and wives.

In 1983, Phearp’s family arrived in Japan. As with other Cambodian refugees, they stayed at Yamato Resettlement Centre for three months. They arrived at the centre at night. There, they were required to have their photo taken for documentation and reporting purposes.