Photo/Illutration Toru Kubota, who was detained in Myanmar, arrives at Haneda Airport in Tokyo and talks to reporters on Nov. 18. (Tsubasa Setoguchi)

Relieved friends and supporters greeted Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Nov. 18, a day after he was released from prison in Myanmar.

Wearing a black T-shirt and green pants and carrying a large backpack, Kubota smiled as he hugged and shook hands with around a dozen people in the arrival lobby of the airport at around 6:20 a.m.

Kubota, 26, bowed to media representatives there and said, “Most of all, I would like to thank all those who worked so hard for my release.”

The Myanmar military released Kubota at around 6 p.m. Japan time on Nov. 17. He boarded a plane at Yangon International Airport and arrived in Tokyo via Bangkok.

The filmmaker had entered Myanmar in July during the continuing turmoil over the military’s coup in February 2021 that gave it control over the Southeast Asian country.

He was detained by security forces on July 30 while filming an anti-military protest and was sent to Insein Prison in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar.

A court sentenced Kubota to a total of 10 years in prison on three charges: incitement and violations related to electronic communications and the immigration law.

He was held at Insein Prison for about three and a half months.

“I was placed in solitary confinement as a political prisoner,” Kubota said at Haneda Airport. “The 10-year prison sentence weighed heavily on my mind.”

He said he had a few opportunities to interact with other inmates.

“They encouraged me in Burmese, saying ‘hang in there,’” he said. “Despite feelings of helplessness after sentencing, I realized that they still had flexible minds.”

Kubota said he was never physically abused at the prison and did not suffer from any health issues while in solitary confinement.

Rallies were held in Tokyo, calling on the Japanese government to secure Kubota’s release and push for the freedom of pro-democracy activists detained in Myanmar.

“I will be anxious until I see him in person,” Kubota’s friend Koshiro Motoyama, also a filmmaker, said before Kubota arrived in Tokyo. “But I am relieved to hear the news of his release.”

Vicky Bowman, former British ambassador to Myanmar, and Sean Turnell, an Australian economist and economic adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, were also held at Insein Prison.

They were also released and took the same plane that was carrying Kubota to Bangkok.

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