So Phina / Cambodia

Portrait of So Pina

Country Kingdom of Cambodia
Title Executive Director, Creative Industries of Cambodia Association for Development and Advocacy (CICADA), Poet, Writer
Duration August 25th (arrival in Japan on 26th ) – September 5th, 2025
Places of stay Tokyo, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto
Visits and meetings Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Mural City Project Koenji, Arts Workers Japan, Arts Council Tokyo, National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, Asakusa, Jinbou-cho (book town), Meiji-jingu Shrine, Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest, NPO Cocoroom（Room of Voice (koe), Words (kotoba), and Heart (kokoro)）, Tondabayashi Senior High School, NPO Tampopo-no-Ye Foundation, Kyoto City, art space co-jin, Creative Center Osaka (Chishima Foundation for Creative Osaka), Agency for Cultural Affairs-Japan
  • *Ms. So also participated in a talk session organized by the Japan Foundation on August 29th, and another talk event organized by Tokyo University of the Arts and The University of Tokyo Bench Project on September 4th.
  • *The Kansai trip was made possible thanks to the generous support of Dr. Shin Nakagawa, Specially Appointed Professor at the Urban Resilience Research Center, Osaka Metropolitan University.

Report

Ms. So Phina of the Creative Industries of Cambodia Association for Development and Advocacy (CICADA) visited Japan for ten days and engaged in various exchanges and dialogues with government agencies, art-related NPOs, and educational institutions.

While in Japan, she also spoke at public talk events, sharing insights with Japanese audiences about the current state and challenges of culture and the arts in Cambodia as well as her work as a poet, writer, and publisher.

Reflecting on her 10-day visit, Ms. So commented that the program confirmed her curiosity on how the Japanese government and administrative bodies are interested in investing in the arts and cultural sector. What left a strong impression on her, she added, was the vibrant artistic activity at the grassroots level, where people with diverse talents are being supported.

In the field of literature, which she describes as her genuine passion, Ms. So hopes to see increased opportunities for exchange between Cambodia and Japan, as well as with the wider international community in the future, through the Khmer Literary Festival and other literary endeavors she has initiated alongside like-minded individuals.

A man wearing glasses and a hat and a woman in a blue coat sit across the counter.
With Mr. Kenji Daikoku of Mural City Project Koenji

Three women taking a commemorative photo
With Ms. Megumi Morisaki and Junko Kikkawa of Arts Workers Japan

Two women and another man are standing on the right, separated by a stand display that reads
With Ms. Yuko Ishiwata and Mr. Haruhisa Sunami of Arts Council Tokyo

The speaker and participants are having a conversation across a display with a green screen.
Talk session on August 29 at JF

A smiling woman holding books in both hands in front of a wall-length bookshelf
With her books at JF Library

In a Japanese-style room, two women in Western clothes can be seen on either side of a wooden table, and the back of a woman in kimono can be seen in the foreground.
With Ms. Kanayo Ueda at Cocoroom

A woman lecturing to students in a classroom with white walls
Exchange activities at Tondabayahsi High School

A woman wearing glasses and a blue jacket and a man wearing a black T-shirt are having a conversation at a table with a green tablecloth
With Mr. Taro Okabe of Tampopo-no-Ye

1. Three women having a conversation in front of a three-story concrete building
With Ms. Miharu Hori of Chishima Foundation for Creative Osaka at Creative Center Osaka/CCA

Press Release (in Japanese)

【取材のお願い】カンボジア クリエイティブ産業振興のキーパーソンが来日 ～国内の芸術・文化機関関係者との対話とトークセッションを実施～ (available in Japanese only)

Highlights from the visits to different places

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