On October 14, 2026, an incredibly warm and important meeting took place in Tokyo between the team of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine (LDLU) and leaders of prominent Ukrainian organizations in Japan.
The Ukrainian community was represented by Nataliia Kovalova, founder of the oldest Ukrainian organization in Japan, NPO "Kraiany", along with her deputies Ihor Yevtushuk and Natalia Lysenko. Also present were Ihor Ihnatiev, co-founder of the Stand with Ukraine Japan (SWU) movement, and coordinator Daryna Kukhar.
The LDLU team was represented by the Head of the East Asian Office, Mariia Makarovych. Oksana Pokalchuk, Co-Executive Director of Truth Hounds, also joined the conversation. The meeting took place at the Ukrainian cafe "Kraiany", which gave the event a special, homey atmosphere.
During the conversation, we discussed the history and current activities of Ukrainians in Japan. The leaders of "Kraiany" and SWU shared their experience in building the civil sector, interacting with Japanese stakeholders, and spoke about the challenges the community faces today.
For her part, Mariia Makarovych shared the experience of uniting Ukrainians in Taiwan, while Oksana Pokalchuk proposed ideas for engaging our diaspora to support initiatives aimed at bringing Russians to justice for war crimes.
Following the conversation, we outlined prospects for future cooperation: from organizing joint cultural events and promoting Ukraine in East Asia to strengthening the home country's support for Ukrainians in Japan.
For many years, the activities of the Ukrainian community in Japan have been a source of inspiration for the LDLU team.
Founded in 2000, NPO "Kraiany" stood at the origins of the Ukrainian non-governmental presence in East Asia. For years, this organization has maintained strong ties with the Homeland and built bridges of solidarity between the Ukrainian and Japanese people.
In turn, the SWU movement, formed in 2022, has become a powerful voice for Ukrainian youth in Tokyo, rallying efforts to respond to the challenges of the full-scale war.
Both organizations play an invaluable role in humanitarian support, assisting the Ukrainian military, children, and vulnerable groups.
We are firmly convinced that the successful experience of the Ukrainian community in Japan serves as a role model for the entire Indo-Pacific region. Scaling it to neighboring countries must certainly become a subject of our strategic interest.
We sincerely thank you for your hospitality and look forward to fruitful cooperation in the future!
Note: The meeting with the Ukrainian community in Tokyo took place within the framework of the "Ukraine and East Asia: Bridges of Solidarity" project, implemented with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
