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((TITLE: TV Japan Ukraine Refugees – Iarmolenko
HEAD: Japan Welcomes Ukrainian Refugees Seeking Shelter from War
DATE: 06/28/2023 at 12pm
PUBLISHED AT:
BYLINE: Iuliia Iarmolenko
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Tokyo, Japan
VIDEOGRAPHER: Susumu Miyazu, Justyna Feicht
VIDEO EDITOR: Oleksii Osyka, Anna Rice
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA; Suspilne Sumy; Oksana Paramonova
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; caw
PLATFORMS: TV only
TRT: 3:18
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO))
[[Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Japan has accepted some 2,300 Ukrainians under the status of evacuees. This is an unprecedented number for a country that in 2021 accepted 74 refugees from around the world. Iuliia Iarmolenko tells the story of one Ukrainian family in Japan.]]
((NARRATION))
Oksana and Natalia Paramonova came to Japan from Ukraine in February 2023. Natalia Paramonova is from the Ukrainian city of
((Mandatory courtesy: Suspilne Sumy))
Shostka in the Sumy region that was repeatedly shelled by Russian forces.
((End courtesy))
((Nataliya Paramonova, Evacuee from Ukraine)) ((UKR))
“I was in a very poor psychological state. Oksana came to Ukraine from Italy and took me away. She said, ‘Mama, we need to leave and get better. Her dad, my husband, stayed at home…”
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Oksana Paramonova))
Mother and daughter received evacuee status because Nataliya Paramonova’s younger daughter lives in Japan. They are around 2,300 Ukrainians who have traveled to Japan
((End courtesy))
since the start of the war in 2022. Japan accepted only 74 refugees in 2021.
Sergiy Kórsunsky, Ukraine’s ambassador to Japan, says the main condition for coming to Japan is to have a sponsor – usually a relative, a close friend, a company or a university. The rest is up to Japan’s government.
((Sergiy Korsunsky, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Japan)) ((UKR))
“Today, you’ll find Ukrainians everywhere – from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Every prefecture and mayor’s office has a special center for helping Ukrainian evacuees. Evacuees get accommodation, kids go to school, parents get permission to work. // They also get medical insurance, same as the Japanese themselves have.”
((NARRATION))
The Paramonovas live in the suburbs of Tokyo and only pay utility bills. Oksana Paramonova says she feels the support from locals.
((Oksana Paramonova, Evacuee from Ukraine)) ((UKR))
“There’s a belief that Japan is a very closed community, that people don’t open up easily. But when we settled here, I told my mom it felt like home. It’s cozy, and the people are so open!”
((NARRATION))
Support centers for Ukrainians also help. One such center is Himawari; its founder is psychologist Mariko Ukiyo, who specializes in helping people who have lived
through trauma.
((Mariko Ukiyo, Founder, Himawari Center)) ((JAPANESE))
“I cannot stop the war; even the American president can’t stop it. But what I can do is help those people who came to Japan with psychological trauma they need to deal with.”
((NARRATION))
But the trauma is not just psychological. Many Ukrainians come to Japan with a medical history. Oksana Paramonova is fighting an oncological disease, and Ukiyo, who also has cancer, helped the woman find a good doctor and help with communication.
((NATS)) ((Mariko talking to Robert))
((NARRATION))
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Robert, who declined to give his last name, has been living in Japan for the last nine months. The center helped him find a job and learn Japanese. Robert’s dream is to get a degree in aircraft engineering and see his family members who stayed in Ukraine.
((Robert))
“I’ve been living abroad for 18 months now, and I miss them terribly… [[cries]]”
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Oksana Paramonova))
Natalia Paramonova says she intends to go back to Ukraine once the war is over – to help rebuild her home country. But for now, she’s teaching her Japanese neighbors how to make borscht while making new friends.
((End courtesy))
((Iuliia Iarmolenko for VOA News, Tokyo, Japan))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateJune 28, 2023 11:21 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
