Evacuees from Ukraine Consider Whether to Return to Ukraine or Remain in JapanWhat kind of support is needed now?

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, at the end of March 2022 The Nippon Foundation announced the launch of The Nippon Foundation Support for Evacuees from Ukraine project. The project has been providing evacuees with financial assistance for travel and living expenses, as well as support for education and employment to enable them to live independently. With more than two years having passed since the invasion, evacuees in Japan are at a stage of making the difficult decision of whether to transition from being “evacuees” and continuing to live in Japan as “residents.” From March 2024, the program also began offering support for evacuees who were receiving assistance for daily living and now want to return to Ukraine.

I thought the conflict would end in 6 months

She expresses her deep gratitude to the community where she has been living, and to the local support group that has been acting as her guarantor. She has enjoyed living in Saga and although she was concerned about her mother being able to adjust, that has not been a particular issue as her mother enjoys being able to take walks among rice paddies and wooded areas. The decision to return to Ukraine was driven mainly by her sons. Although they have entered a local school and been welcomed by their fellow students and enjoy playing together, not being able to speak Japanese and express themselves freely has been frustrating for them. They are also taking online classes from a school in Ukraine, which combined with their Japanese schoolwork creates a heavy burden in terms of homework. Even though she explains that returning to Ukraine will be dangerous, they want to return and be with their friends. Ms. Birzul also admits to feelings of guilt at times because she is living comfortably and safely in Japan while her friends in Ukraine are joining the military or working as volunteers, so she has decided to return to Ukraine.

Coming to Japan at family’s urging

At her job, she is in regular contact with ships’ captains in English to discuss things like weather conditions, intermediate stops, and port information, and she also handles budget management. Ship’s voyages can last more than six weeks, and her interaction with the captain during that time becomes quite natural. She is also very happy when she is able to help resolve unforeseen issues, which makes her feel like a member of the ship’s crew. Now that she is in her second year with the company, she has become familiar with her own role and would like to start learning more about the tasks other employees around her are performing.

Ms. Bozhok says that returning to Ukraine while the war continues frightens her, and after spending time in Japan as a student, it was not a difficult decision to apply for a visa to remain and work in Japan. She does miss her family, however, and because her father cannot leave Ukraine and her mother does not want to, she is thinking about visiting her family in Kyiv during her summer vacation.

The best part of living in Japan for Ms. Bozhok is her work environment and the fact that she enjoys her job. Most of her coworkers are Japanese, but because they are engaged in an international business, they can speak English when she is not able to say or understand something in Japanese. She also enjoys getting together with Ukrainian former students she studied with at Nihon Keizai University to play board games or take short trips together. Regarding her future, her visa allows her to live in Japan for five years, which provides a sense of relief for the time being, but she is unsure as to what she will do after that. She is confident, however, that her life in Japan is a valuable experience that will help her adapt to whatever the future brings.