2024-09-08 05:24:38
Restaurants run by Ukrainian refugees are popping up in various cities across Japan, Kyodo reported.
Two and a half years after the start of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees are looking for stable jobs and economic independence, with restaurants offering national-style dishes, BTA reported.
The Zito restaurant in Nagoya, central Japan, employs 16 Ukrainians who left their homeland because of the hostilities.
“I’m happy that my customers like my cooking,” says 19-year-old Oleg Mokritsky from the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. He also looked for another job, but gave up because of the language barrier. For now, the young man plans to continue working in the restaurant, but his dream is to study at a Japanese culinary school.
According to data from the Japanese government, at the end of July, there were about 2,000 Ukrainian refugees living in the country. Last year, a system was put in place to allow people fleeing war zones to obtain permanent resident status given the expectation that their stay would be prolonged. However, programs providing refugees with financial support from major humanitarian organizations are expected to expire in the spring of next year.
At the same time, there are many refugees who cannot work, even if they want to, because of the difficulties in learning Japanese, the Japan-Ukraine Cultural Association in Nagoya points out.
In March and April, the Nippon Foundation conducted a survey among 1,160 Ukrainian refugees over the age of 18 receiving support from it. Among those surveyed, 71 percent indicated that they “do not understand Japanese at all” or only understand simple Japanese phrases.
Against this background, the organization is putting a lot of effort into opening “Zhito”, through which to provide employment for Ukrainian refugees.
Similarly, restaurants staffed by Ukrainians have sprung up in Tokyo, Osaka and other cities, including Beppu, Oita Prefecture. Beppu is home to one of Japan’s leading hot spring resorts.
“We want to create a place where locals and tourists can communicate with each other, not only through food, but also through workshops to learn traditional crafts and other activities promoting Ukrainian culture,” said Yana Otto of the NGO Beautiful world” (Beautiful World), under whose auspices the local Ukrainian restaurant operates.