Presentation of the Picture Book Project in Kyoto

Marking the 55th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Kyiv and Kyoto, the event brought together people committed to supporting Ukrainian children and strengthening cultural ties between our countries.

Distinguished guests at the event and reception included Masahito Moriyama, Member of Japan’s House of Representatives and former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Kunimitsu Imai, Chief Global Policy Officer of Kyoto City, Shigeki Sumi, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine and Hideki Nagashima, President of Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance.

A message from Yurii Lutovinov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Japan, was read on his behalf. The Ambassador emphasised the importance of supporting Ukrainian children, thanked Japanese partners and congratulated Kyiv and Kyoto on the anniversary of their sister-city relationship.

Participants learned about the work of the Ukrainian cultural centre Ukraine House Japan, the origins and development of the book project, and the activities of the Japanese publisher Shikosha. In cooperation with the Ukrainian publisher Ranok, the project translates Japanese picture books into Ukrainian and donates them to children in Ukraine.

During the first phase of the project, five Japanese picture book titles were translated into Ukrainian. A total of 5,000 copies were printed in Ukraine and distributed to children free of charge. The second phase plans to print a further 10,000 copies, bringing the joy of reading to even more children.

For children growing up amid war, a book can offer joy, comfort and new discoveries. Japanese stories in Ukrainian also introduce them to another culture and convey a simple but important message: far beyond Ukraine, there are people who care about them.

The musical programme featured Ukrainian bandura player and singer Kateryna. The sound of the bandura, together with Ukrainian and Japanese songs, added a musical dimension to the event’s exploration of the cultural ties between our peoples.

Guests also had the opportunity to meet and talk, visit an exhibition about Ukrainian history, and explore books in Ukrainian and Japanese.

We sincerely thank Kyoto City, the kokoka team, Shikosha and Ranok, our distinguished guests, donors, translators, volunteers, and everyone who supports this project.

With your support, friendship between Ukraine and Japan becomes practical help for children—one book at a time.