Nearly 70% of Ukrainian Refugees Hope Their Children Will Continue Education in Japan

A survey was conducted between October and December 2024 of 887 evacuees from Ukraine (age 18 and older) in Japan, who are receiving support from the Nippon Foundation.

When asked about their children’s educational future, 66% of the parents interviewed preferred for their children to continue their education in Japan, which exceeds the 63% who have children already enrolled in a Japanese school or kindergarten. The number of parents who wished their children to continue their education outside of Japan, whether in Ukraine or another country, was less than 20% in total.

According to the parents surveyed, 46% of their children “fully understand” or “basically understand” Japanese, a significant improvement compared to less than 10% at the time of initial arrival. When Ukrainian children first arrived in Japan, 80% either understood almost no Japanese or could only recognize a few words, as compared to just 17% currently. By steadily acquiring Japanese language skills, Ukrainians are overcoming one of the main barriers to pursuing employment and education in Japan.

Nearly Half Want to Stay as Long as Possible

The percentage of Ukrainian refugees who wish to remain in Japan is basically unchanged from the previous year, at over 70%. Those who want to stay in Japan “as long as possible” increased by 5 points, to 44%; while those who would like to stay “until the situation settles down in Ukraine” decreased by 7 points to 27%.

The percentage of refugees who are working in Japan increased by 7 points to 54%. Those working full time increased 2 points to 14% and those working part-time rose by 4 points to 39%. The percentage of those not working totaled 46%, with 27% of them seeking employment. Many evacuees are seeking stable jobs as a basis for staying in Japan over the long term. The most common form of support that is desired (apart from material or financial assistance), as mentioned by 46% of those surveyed, is assistance in job placement and training.

Many Seek Support for Education and Employment

The Nippon Foundation has been providing a living subsidy for up to three years to approximately 2,000 Ukrainians who fled to Japan after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This year, at a February 19 press conference, the Nippon Foundation announced that the subsidy will gradually be phased out, with the focus shifting to providing support for finding employment and learning the Japanese language.

Young Ukrainians at the press conference talked about how they had made progress with learning Japanese, as well as their plans for future studies or work in Japan.

Sasakawa Junpei, vice president of the Nippon Foundation, made the following remarks: “Many Ukrainian evacuees are adapting to Japan, and it seems to me that our support up to now has been effective. Moving forward, we would like to continue providing support in tandem with NPOs and local governments.”

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: High-school student Oleksandr Samarukha [front right], alongside other Ukrainian evacuees at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Nippon Foundation, expressing his gratitude for the organization’s support in building a new life in Japan and his hope to pursue higher education and other opportunities in Japan. © Matsumoto Sōichi.)