Japanese city of Nagoya celebrates culture-related Ukraine Day

Japanese central city of Nagoya continues its yearly tradition to celebrate Ukraine Day, dedicated to its culture during the war, reports Ukraine's Ambassador to Japan Serhii Korsunsky.

Nagoya made its peaceful rallies during the first year of the full-scale war. Around 130 people marched in the cold rain for about an hour, holding placards that read "Peace in Ukraine" and other messages.

Today was Ukraine Day in Nagoya. We celebrated it together with the Ukrainian community of the city, the mayor, and citizens who have taken refuge in the city due to Russian aggression, the Ambassador said on his Facebook post.

The Ukrainian-Japanese Cultural Association organized the celebration day with the assistance of the city's mayor's office.

Ambassador Korsunsky met with Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura and thanked him for his support of Ukrainian evacuees, and delivered a speech to the community.

Being the heart of the Japanese industrial sector, Nagoya has become a new home to 61 Ukrainians who left their homes after the new stage of war.

Japanese consistent support has been focused on humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including the recent pledge to allocate $7 billion in aid.

Aside from the peaceful support, Japan plans to lift a ban on arms exports, opening the door to possible increased defense support for Ukraine.

This, in particular, will pave the way for sending fighter jets developed jointly with the UK and Italy to other countries.

Japan is also handing over 100 trucks for Ukrainian forces and 30,000 dry rations based on the request from the Ukrainian side, as well as Japan's decision to accept injured soldiers.

Japan became the first country to allocate funds worth $23 million to cover military risks when investing in Ukraine.