(TOKYO, JAPAN) – Japan has provided more than 12 billion euros in aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full scale invasion, making it Kyiv’s largest non Western benefactor, according to a special report by TVP World.
Tokyo and Kyiv are separated by nearly 12,000 kilometres and six time zones, but both countries share the same troublesome neighbour, Russia.
Japan has its own territorial dispute with Moscow over the so called Northern Territories, and relations between the two countries hit an all time low after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Japan announced sanctions and froze the assets of several Russian banks just one day after the invasion.
Within the first few weeks of the war, Japan allocated around 176 million euros for emergency humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
In mid March 2022, Tokyo partnered with Washington to deliver non lethal military aid to Ukraine, with supplies donated by the government of Japan and the Self Defence Forces transported to Europe on United States aircraft.
Then Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Russia’s imperial ambitions are a problem not just for Europe but for all of its neighbours, adding that Ukraine may be East Asia tomorrow.
Kishida was the first G7 leader to visit Ukraine during the war, travelling to Kyiv and Bucha where he commemorated the victims of the Bucha massacre alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he also invited to the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency, active in Ukraine since 2004, plays a vital role in distributing Japanese aid on the ground.
The agency supports critical infrastructure including energy, transport, water supply, healthcare and education, as well as humanitarian mine action and investment in people.
Demining is a crucial part of the reconstruction effort, with Ukraine’s state emergency service estimating that about 26 percent of the country is covered by mines.
Japan provides Ukraine with technical equipment, vehicles and demining devices on an almost monthly basis.
While Japanese government support remains limited to financial and humanitarian aid, the Tokyo based firm Terra Drone became the first Japanese company to invest in Ukraine’s defence sector, announcing a partnership with the Ukrainian manufacturer Amazing Drones in late March.
Terra Drone’s chief executive, Toru Tokushige, said the company chose Amazing Drones for its good technology and strong vision to increase Ukraine’s defence power and expand the business worldwide.
Since the start of the full scale invasion, Ukrainian drone makers have developed countless innovative solutions, placing the country at the very top of the global drone industry.
Ukrainian manufacturers produce drones ranging from DIY models constructed with hobby store supplies costing 300 US dollars, capable of destroying a tank, to domestically produced Vampire drones and AI powered Hornet drones.
Ukrainian defence forces face mass drone attacks almost every night, with Russia’s inexpensive Iranian made Shahed drones targeting civilian infrastructure.
Advanced missile interceptors such as the US made Patriot defence systems are scarce and costly, prompting Ukrainian defence companies to seek alternatives.
Terra Drone has partnered with Amazing Drones to produce an interceptor drone that can provide an alternative to costly interceptor missiles.
The Terra A1, priced around 2,300 euros per drone, can fly as high as 5,000 metres and reach speeds of over 300 kilometres per hour.
Interceptor missiles cost between one million and three million US dollars, while an interceptor drone costs around 3,000 to 4,000 US dollars, significantly cheaper than a Shahed drone.
Terra Drone invested more than 8.5 million euros into Amazing Drones, a Ukrainian startup that needed foreign capital.
The decision sparked outrage in Moscow, with the Russian Foreign Ministry describing the move as overly hostile and detrimental to Russia’s security interests, and summoning the Japanese ambassador to Russia in protest.
Despite the backlash, Terra Drone bought 50 percent of Ukrainian drone maker Winnab just weeks later and is developing the Terra A2, a fixed wing interceptor drone designed for wide area surveillance, long range flight and extended endurance.
Terra Drone’s investment coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decision to relax the decade old ban on the export of lethal weapons, opening the possibility for future defence partnerships.
Japan has also opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees from the very first weeks of the invasion, issuing visas, providing briefings about Japan, tickets and coordination at Narita airport and in Tokyo.
Around 2,900 Ukrainians arrived in Japan when the war began, and around 1,800 remain in the country under refugee status.
One organisation supporting Ukrainian refugees is NPO Krayany, which provides assistance and runs a cafe offering traditional Ukrainian dishes.
The cafe opened in 2023 when many Ukrainians who fled the war were struggling with life in Japan, providing food and support for those who arrived with only a backpack or documents.
Initially refugees received financial support and fully equipped accommodation, but as the war drags on, many benefits for living expenses have been discontinued.
The cafe enjoys support from local residents and features Fuwafuwa-san, a character created by Japanese artist Karada Midori, with proceeds from handmade artworks supporting the establishment.
More than five and a half million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country since the start of the war, and nearly five years on, the prospect of peace remains distant.
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