Mika Yamamoto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mika Yamamoto
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| 山本 美香 | |
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| Born |
Mika Yamamoto
26 May 1967 Tsuru, Yamanashi, Japan
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| Died | 20 August 2012 (aged 45) Aleppo, Syria
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| Cause of death |
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| Resting place | Tsuru |
| Alma mater | Tsuru University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1990–2012 |
Mika Yamamoto (山本 美香, Yamamoto Mika) (born May 26, 1967 – died August 20, 2012) was a Japanese journalist who won awards for her work. She worked as a video and photojournalist for a news company called Japan Press. Mika was killed on August 20, 2012, while reporting on the Syrian Civil War in Aleppo, Syria.
She was the first Japanese journalist and the fourth foreign journalist to die in the Syrian Civil War, which started in March 2011. She was also the fifteenth journalist killed in Syria that year. In 2004, she received the Vaughn-Uyeda Memorial Prize for her reports on world events.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mika Yamamoto was born in Tsuru, a city in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, on May 26, 1967. She had two sisters. Her father, Koji Yamamoto, was also a reporter for a newspaper called Asahi Shimbun. Mika studied at Tsuru University and graduated from there.
A Career in Journalism
Mika Yamamoto started her journalism career in 1990. She first worked as a reporter for Asahi Newstar, a TV channel. She later became a video journalist and director, making documentaries and news shows.
In 1995, she joined Japan Press, an independent news group in Tokyo. This group creates news and documentaries for TV and magazines, focusing on the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Mika was known for using small, hand-held video cameras and editing her own videos.
She reported from many important places, including Kosovo, Bosnia, Chechnya, Indonesia, Afghanistan in 2001, Iraq in 2003, and Uganda. She reported on how Afghan women were treated in Kabul and even interviewed members of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Mika also worked as a special reporter for Nippon TV in Iraq. In 2003, she survived a tank attack on the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. Sadly, two other journalists were killed in that attack.
From 2003 to 2004, Mika became a news presenter for Nippon TV's news program Today by NNN (「NNNきょうの出来事」, NNN Kyo no Dekigoto). She received the Vaughn-Uyeda Memorial Award for her earlier reports on the war in Iraq.
Mika also taught journalism at Waseda University and her old university, Tsuru University. Her lessons focused on how wars affect regular people and the important role of journalists during wartime.
After the big Great East Japan earthquake in March 2011, Mika visited the damaged areas to show what had happened. In November 2011, she started working as a consultant for the Japanese government. Her job was to help reduce unnecessary spending.
Mika was in Syria reporting for Nippon TV when she was killed. She was covering the ongoing civil war and how it was affecting the Syrian people.
Her Death in Syria
On August 20, 2012, Mika Yamamoto and her Japanese colleague, photographer Kazutaka Sato, were traveling with fighters from the Free Syrian Army. They came under attack in Aleppo, Syria.
Mika was badly hurt in the Suleiman al Halabi district of the city. This happened during a fight between Syrian opposition forces and government forces. Kazutaka Sato said that Mika died when pro-government troops appeared and started "random shooting." She died at a nearby hospital after being shot in the neck. However, a rebel fighter said she was killed during shelling by government forces.
Masaru Sato, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in Tokyo, confirmed her death on August 20, 2012. An examination of her body showed that she had been shot nine times. The main cause of her death was a bullet to her neck, which damaged her spinal cord and caused severe bleeding. She was wearing body armor, but it could not protect her from these injuries.
Members of a group called Liwa Asifat al Shamal, which was part of the Free Syrian Army, delivered her body. They gave it to Japanese officials in Kilis, southern Turkey, on August 21, 2012.
Funeral Service
Mika Yamamoto's body was moved from Kilis to Istanbul on August 23, 2012. Her two sisters and nephew traveled to Istanbul and brought her body back to Japan on August 25. Her funeral was held in Tsuru, where her parents live, on August 27. About 800 people attended the ceremony.
Reactions to Her Death
Many people and organizations expressed sadness about Mika Yamamoto's death. Joel Simon, who leads the Committee to Protect Journalists, shared his sorrow and sent his sympathy to Mika's family and friends.
On August 22, the Japanese Foreign Minister Kōichirō Gemba said that Mika's killing was very sad. He offered his condolences to her family. The French Foreign Ministry also released a statement of sympathy on August 21 for Mika's family.
United States Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland also spoke on August 21. She condemned the killing of Mika Yamamoto by Syrian government forces and offered her condolences.
Memorials
On October 10, 2012, students at Waseda University held a memorial service for Mika. She had taught there for four years. The service included a movie about her life and statements from her friends.
See also
- List of journalists killed during the Syrian Civil War
- List of photojournalists
