Bridging Ukraine and Japan: Friendship Across Seas and Borders

“Did you know that Ukraine was ranked one of the top sushi-loving countries in the world outside of Japan by the culinary magazine Chef’s Pencil? In every city in Ukraine, there are numerous sushi shops and Japanese restaurants,” said Ukraine Youth Ambassador (UYA) Tetiana Vazhysnka at an event titled Ukraine in Japan, Japan in Ukraine held onboard Peace Boat’s 117th Global Voyage.

Tetiana and her fellow Youth Ambassadors Antonina Korotenko and Adelina Lysenko shared exciting similarities and links between Ukraine and Japan. “Uzhgorod, a city in western Ukraine, is full of sakura (Japanese cherry blossom trees) and Sakura Festivals are held there,” said Antonina. “Not only that, in the capital city Kyiv there is a large, beautiful Japanese garden called Kyoto Park. This place was established in 1972 as a symbol of Ukrainian-Japanese friendship.”

Talented graphic designer Tetiana, who works as a UX designer in Tokyo today, was attracted by manga and anime art already in Ukraine. “Japanese manga and anime are extremely popular among young people in Ukraine,” she said. “The Kyiv Comic Con, held annually until the war, was one of the biggest events where fans of anime gathered to celebrate cosplay. Unfortunately, since the full-scale Russian invasion, the Comic Con has been canceled. War can destroy many things, including youth culture.” Antonina, a big fan of Japanese theater and art performances, added: “Japanese anime was the thing that got me interested in Japanese language and culture from a young age.”

The Youth Ambassadors introduced the work of Japanese manga artist Natsume, who draws manga-style pictures of Ukrainians and Ukrainian culture, and with gratitude talked about Tsuchiko Fuminori from Japan who moved to Ukraine after the war started and opened a free cafe to feed citizens called FuMi Cafe in Kharkiv. This city in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia is constantly exposed to Russian military attacks, and is the hometown of Youth Ambassadors Tetiana, Sofiia and Mariia.

“Ukrainians are also active in Japan,” said Adelina, “For example, famous Japanese sumo wrestler Taiho Koki’s father was Ukrainian. Moreover, Ukrainian singer and bandurist Nataliya Gudziy has been living in Japan for a number of years and giving concerts playing the bandura, a traditional folk Ukrainian stringed instrument.” Not only Ukrainian residents, but also refugees, students and others who fled from war in Ukraine made their culture and experiences of war close to the Japanese public through events organized for humanitarian aid and solidarity. During their time in Japan all the Youth Ambassadors took part in solidarity demonstrations, fundraising and organizing delivery of medicines and equipment lacking in Ukrainian hospitals.

The actuality of the current war has not stopped Antonina Korotenko and Yuliia Chekhovska from thinking about opportunities in the future in Ukraine and how tourism could help the reconstruction of their country after the war. They organized an event on board called The ABCs of Tourism in Ukraine, where they talked about places they recommend the audience to visit in Ukraine once the war is finally over.

“Ukraine is home to large sand dunes called the Oleshky Sands, an enormous biosphere reserve full of wildlife known as Askania Nova, and other scenic sites,” shared Antonina, while gesturing at photos on the screen. “And did you know that Peace Boat has docked in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa several times in the past? Odessa is a city full of gorgeous beaches, cuisine and culture. It’s where the huge Potemkin Stairs are located - the name comes from Sergei Eisenstein’s film Battleship Potemkin which was shot here and made this spot famous.”

“Another place we can’t miss is the Klevan Tunnel of Love in western Ukraine,” continued Yuliia, showing a picture of this tunnel, a picturesque railway running through a green leafy archway. “The Japanese film Klevan: The Tunnel of Love was shot here in 2014 and this spot became very popular among Japanese tourists.”

Antonina and Yuliia introduced various towns, museums and historical castles in Ukraine, highlighting the attractions of this country and its rich heritage. Despite the image of war now associated with Ukraine, the Youth Ambassadors managed to immerse the audience in the natural beauties, folk stories and modern art and culture of their country, saying at the end of the event: “Please come and visit Ukraine once the war is over!”

Midway during the voyage, the Youth Ambassadors organized an exhibition on the ship titled Unissued Diplomas of Ukrainian Student War Victims. This is an exhibit of the photos and profiles of 40 Ukrainian students whose lives were untimely taken by the Russian army and hence could not graduate and receive their college diplomas. It tells the stories of brave young people who died heroically in the fight for their homeland. The exhibit was a hit worldwide and held in venues globally, and was shown aboard Peace Boat on the initiative of UYA Natalia Makohon.

Voyage participants passing by the exhibit stopped to look intently at the photos and read the stories of each student, shedding tears and becoming personally and emotionally involved in the tragedies of innocent youth whose futures had been robbed by the sudden invasion. This project was another step that brought the Japanese community onboard closer to Ukraine, emphasizing to all the importance of international cooperation, peace building initiatives and continued support for the people of Ukraine and to put an end to Russia’s violation of international law as soon as possible.