[From Nagano to Cambodia] Culture production company Kotobito signs MoU with Cambodia’s KHJ Group to support human resource exchanges, wellness, and the expansion of Japanese companies
Kotobito Press Release: September 3, 2025 Culture production company Kotobito signs MoU with Cambodia’s KHJ Group. Strategic partnership expanding from Nagano to the world, supporting human resource exchange, wellness, and the expansion of Japanese companies. – Building on 17 years of trust, we co-create a sustainable future with challengers – Kotobito Inc. (Headquarters: Chino City, Nagano Prefecture; CEO/Producer: Satoru Ishijima; hereinafter “Kotobito”), a culture production company with the mission of “creating things with interesting people all over the world,” signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a strategic business partnership with Cambodia’s KHJ Tour & Travel Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Phnom Penh; CEO: Heng Chanbopha; hereinafter “KHJ”) on September 3, 2025. As the core company of the KHJ Group, KHJ is engaged in a wide range of businesses, including construction, travel, Japanese language education, and human resource exchange, and serves as a bridge between Japan and Cambodia. This partnership aims to connect Japan and Cambodia and create a new framework for sustainable public-private partnerships.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/160070/7/160070-7-80d7ae99c0fe192073f8ef6f75aa9158-3900×2184.jpg
generations, creating new cultures, and paving the way for a prosperous and sustainable future for both parties. 【17 Years of Trust Lead to New Co-Creation】 Amid this historic trend, the foundation of this partnership is the deep friendship and trust built over 17 years between our company’s representative, Ishijima, and KHJ founder, Hun Shinhong. In 2008, while still a university student, Ishijima founded WorldFut, an international cooperation organization through soccer. KHJ was his partner from the beginning of his activities in Cambodia, and he met Hun Singhong as his counterpart. Since then, the
collaboration between WorldFut and KHJ has continued to this day, and Ishijima personally has built a close relationship with the KHJ Group. Now, through practical discussions with current CEO Haein Chanboppa, who has inherited the vision of founder Hun Shinhong, we have been able to bring this long-standing, unwavering relationship to fruition as a concrete business. The driving force behind this partnership is our strong belief that regions like Nagano, where our company is based, can accelerate new value creation by connecting directly with overseas markets without being bound by existing frameworks. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/160070/7/160070-7-168de353838e3b30922f53d30a8eac51-1144×634.png Excerpt from a presentation by Kotobito. Since meeting Hun Shinhong 17 years ago, we have built a relationship of mutual trust. ■ Three Business Areas of Collaboration This partnership will initially promote collaboration in the following three business areas. The trial period (Phase 1) will run until the end of March 2026. We will establish a business model through the pilot project, with the aim of incorporation and full-scale business partnership (Phase 2) from April 2026 onwards. 1. Talent Exchange Project Rather than simply
transferring labor, we aim for “talent exchange” as a form of cultural exchange that respects the aspirations and careers of each individual challenger. The foundation for realizing this philosophy is the deep knowledge and extensive network in the field of education that KHJ has cultivated over many years. KHJ has built over 500 schools across Cambodia and has built strong relationships of trust with numerous educational institutions. It has also operated its own Japanese language school for many years and is deeply committed to high-quality Japanese language education and human resource development, including serving as the local selection committee for a prominent Japanese scholarship foundation. In this project, we will leverage this unparalleled educational network to carefully identify talented Cambodian talent and create opportunities for them to flourish and grow in Japan, thereby achieving true “kyoiku” (growing together). During the trial period, we aim to establish a business model that reflects this philosophy and track record. As an important step toward realizing this philosophy, we are also pleased to announce that on the same day, we signed a memorandum of understanding on a three-way human resources partnership with Khmer Kham Organization, whose mission is to develop the talent that will lead Cambodia’s future.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/160070/7/160070-7-e1c698c162eacb301aa7f3d6485312ec-3900×2600.jpg Signed a memorandum of understanding on human resources partnership with Duk Piseth, Chairman of the Khmer Kham Organization. 2. Wellness Tourism Business By combining KHJ’s Cambodian network with our expertise in bringing ideas to life and our knowledge of the medical and healthcare fields, we will create high-quality wellness programs that allow participants to deeply experience the charms of Japan’s regional culture and nature. As a medical institution partner for this project, we have decided to partner with Life Clinic Tateshina, also located in Chino City, Nagano Prefecture. Under the theme of “Living Better,” the clinic offers unique programs that combine the latest preventive medicine and wellness in the rich natural environment of the Yatsugatake Mountains. Combining this pioneering initiative with our production, we have already completed joint testing and validation of the program content. Going forward, subject to obtaining a travel business license or partnering with a travel agency, we aim to accept participants from Cambodia as part of the first project incorporating this program between January and March 2026.
https://img.youtube.com/vi/BiEz3gHblIY/sddefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiEz3gHblIY Demo video of wellness tourism in Yatsugatake. 3. Supporting Japanese Companies Entering the Cambodian Market We support Japanese companies who wish to establish new value in the Cambodian market, accompany them from the development of their business concept to its implementation in the local community. As the first step in this initiative, we will begin collaborating with Image Co., Ltd., which is headquartered in Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, the same city where our company is based. Specifically, we will work together to consider expanding Yatsugatake Octet, a popular bakery cafe operated by Image in front of Chino Station. The bakery is made with fresh water from Tateshina, Shinshu, and the rich natural surroundings overlooking the Yatsugatake Mountains. We will support their challenge to deliver the passion and quality nurtured by the Chino culture to the people of Cambodia. In addition, in the construction industry, which is Emerge’s core business, we will be conducting a multifaceted review of the possibility of human resource cooperation through collaboration with our personnel exchange program, as well as the possibility of future expansion into the local market. During the trial period, we aim to have at least one company decide to expand into the market and begin providing concrete support, with the project with Emerge at the forefront.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/160070/7/160070-7-b7558060c3c854dd254e92b406ca3ce8-1146×645.png Excerpt from a presentation by Kotobito. ■ Expectations from the Vice President of the Cambodian Senate When this partnership was announced, we had the opportunity to meet with H.E. Tun Vatthana, Second Vice President of the Cambodian Senate, who expressed his warm expectations for this project. Comment from Vice-Chairman Tun Vatthana: “I am very pleased to meet with you today. I highly appreciate the projects you are undertaking in Cambodia. Please continue to move forward with them. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/160070/7/160070-7-e1daf2697ab948036424cd2016daf6a6-3900×2600.jpg Tun Vatthana, Deputy Speaker of the Senate of Cambodia ■ Comments from Representatives of Both Companies Kotobito Inc. Representative Director/Producer, Satoru Ishijima “Ever since I met Mr. Hun Singhong in 2008, Cambodia has felt like a second home to me. This partnership is more than just a business partnership; it marks a new chapter in a 17-year story of friendship, trust, and mutual respect. Our goal is to create a space where the people, ideas, and cultures of Japan and Cambodia can connect and grow together. We believe that even in a world where countries tend to be divided, trust between people can build the future.” KHJ Group Representative Mr. Hein Chanboppa “I feel that it is our turn to make a concrete business blossom, building on the wonderful foundation of trust that Ms. Ishijima and her husband, founder Hun Singhong, have built over the years. I discuss
people-to-people exchanges and the future of wellness tourism with Ms. Ishijima every day, and I am always inspired by her passion and ideas. I would like to connect Japanese hospitality with the potential of Cambodian youth and create a business that will brighten the future of both countries.” KHJ Group Founder Hun Shin-hong “I’ve known Mr. Ishijima since he was a student. I’ve always witnessed his passion and drive. After 17 long years, I’m truly happy that our friendship has been passed on to his wife, who will lead the next generation, and that it has blossomed into such a wonderful business. I’m confident that together with Kotobito, they will create a wonderful business for the future of Cambodia and Japan.” [About Kotobito Inc.] Kotobito is a culture production company that supports challengers’ passion to cultivate and establish new value that does not yet exist in society, accompanying them through the process of implementing their ideas in society. With a vision of “making the world a more interesting and warmer place,” we foster an environment in which challengers can more freely take steps toward value creation through both on-site production practice and the advocacy of “Producerial Studies,” which systematizes the knowledge gained there. ・Company Name: Kotobito Co., Ltd. ・Address: 231 Work Lab Yatsugatake, 2nd Floor, Belvia, 3502-1 Chino, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, 391-0001 ・Representative: Representative Director/Producer Ishijima Knowledge ・Business Activities: Research and development of producing and producing studies, and cultural creation projects ・Website: https://kotobito.com [About KHJ Group / KHJ Tour & Travel Co., Ltd.] Under the slogan “Connecting Cambodia and Japan,” KHJ Group is a corporate group engaged in a wide range of businesses, including construction, travel, Japanese language school management, and recruitment. Under the vision of founder Hun Singhong and the current leadership of CEO Hein Chanboppa, the group is committed to the development of Cambodia and the building of friendly relations with Japan. ・Corporate name: KHJ Tour&Travel Co., Ltd (KHJ Group core corporation) ・Location: 101C St. 36 Sangkat Tirkthla Khan-Sen Sok, Phnom Penh City, Cambodia ・Representative: Representative Director Heng Chanbopha Founder: Hung Shinhong [Contact for this matter] Kotobito Co., Ltd. Public Relations Officer E-mail: info@kotobito.com For more information about this release