A group of Ukrainian evacuees in Japan has held a rally in Tokyo to call for the prompt return of peace to their country.
About 100 Ukrainian evacuees and their supporters took part in the gathering organized by a support group in front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo on Saturday.
It was exactly two and a half years ago that Russia began its military invasion of Ukraine. The day also marked the 33rd anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the former Soviet Union.
The rally participants held up Ukrainian flags and shouted slogans against Russia’s military invasion and for the realization of peace in their country.
The participants also offered prayers for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians killed in the fighting, and expressed their thanks to Japan for its continued support.
A Ukrainian member of the support group, Nataliia Malova, said she believes Ukraine must win the war decisively. She said a ceasefire wouldn’t be enough to prevent further Russian invasions. She called for Japanese people to continue their support for Ukraine as a means to end the war.
Japan’s Immigration Services Agency says as of July 31, there were 2,005 Ukrainian evacuees staying in Japan.
The Nippon Foundation that supports them says 69 evacuees have decided to return to Ukraine or have already gone back since it began offering air tickets there and lump-sum cash payments in February.
The foundation said the evacuees had various reasons for returning. Some said they wanted to care for family members who had been left behind due to old age or illness.
It says others wanted their children to be educated back in Ukraine because the language barrier made it difficult for them to study in Japan.
The foundation also said a survey of the Ukrainian evacuees conducted in the spring found that more than 70 percent of them hoped to stay in Japan.
Nippon Foundation official Yamada Akiko says many of the Ukrainian women who evacuated to Japan came with their young children. She says those children haven’t been given enough opportunities to learn the Japanese language while their mothers are working.
She says further efforts are needed to help the Ukrainian evacuees and their children find their places in Japanese society.