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Diia’s E-Passport: Useless at the Border, With No Legal Force Abroad
The e-passport in Ukraine's government app, Diia (Дія), has been legally usable in place of a card-format passport since August 23, 2021. It cannot be used to cross a border, however, and has no legal recognition outside Ukraine. This article covers everything from its QR code that expires after 3 minutes, to logging in from abroad, to the features added in wartime, and the more than 24 million users.
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The Career of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy | An Unusual Turn from Actor, and the Background
In recent years, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has appeared more and more often in Japanese news as well. Relatively young for a president, he has drawn attention from around the world as the leader of a Ukraine facing Russian aggression. But did you know that President Zelenskyy was originally a comedic actor? This time, we take a closer look at President Zelenskyy’s career. The Career of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy President Zelenskyy was born in a city known for mining, and dedicated himself to his studies. Here is his career, from childhood…
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Japan-Ukraine Relations | History, Trade, and Economic Support Explained
This article was published in July 2024 and revised in September 2026. Please also read A Japan-Ukraine Timeline — From the 1965 Sister-City Agreement to Yen Loans, which lists events with dates and the body that announced them. News of Japan supporting Ukraine has become more common since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. So when and where did the relationship between Japan and Ukraine begin before that? This time, we explain the relationship between Ukraine and Japan, focusing on history, trade, and economic support. If…
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When Officials Announce That “Recovery Has Progressed,” What Has Actually Been Completed?
Most articles reporting that "recovery has progressed" are simply relaying an announcement from a government or international body. An announcement is evidence that an announcement was made — not evidence that construction is finished. The difference between an estimated amount, a pledged amount, and a disbursed amount; who did the counting; whether there is trackable public data or an independent audit. This article sets out six questions for reading announcements and results separately.
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Ukrainian Greetings and Thank-Yous — How to Look Up 20 Words, and the Distinctions Kana Erases
In kana, both и and і become just “i.” In Latin transliteration, the soft sign and apostrophe disappear. Dictionaries don't tell you whether добрий день or доброго дня is more natural. This article covers the order to look up 20 words of greeting and thanks, and where the stumbling points are. None of the 20 words has yet been checked by a native speaker.
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“Ukrainian Film” Means Five Different Things — Country of Production, Setting, and Who Made It
The phrase “Ukrainian film” refers to at least five different things: a film produced in Ukraine, a film with Ukraine as one of its co-producing countries, a film made by another country but set in Ukraine, a film made abroad by a filmmaker from Ukraine, and a film made in the former Soviet era. Using films whose stated country of production can be checked, this article shows how to sort them out and how to check.
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What Kind of Country Is Ukraine? A 3-Minute Refresher on Its Culture and History
How much do you know about Ukraine?This article brings together basic facts about Ukraine along with its culture and history. Let’s deepen our understanding of Ukraine. What Kind of Country Is Ukraine? Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe with a rich culture and history.Here we explain it in terms of the following three points. Ukraine’s Land and Population Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe.It borders Belarus, Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. It’s one of the larger countries by land area, at about 600,000 square kilometers —…
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Local Japanese Classes, and Free Japanese-Language Materials With Ukrainian Support
There are three main places to learn Japanese: local Japanese classes, Japanese language schools, and online materials. This article covers how to find a nearby class, the free courses Tsunahiro, Irodori, and NHK's course that come with Ukrainian explanations, training for job seekers, and the Settlement Support Program available to those recognized as persons eligible for complementary protection.
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Ukrainian Deminers Learn Japan’s ALIS Mine Detector — in Cambodia
Japan has sent 54 ALIS mine detectors and 22 demining machines to Ukraine's State Emergency Service, and has held operator training in both Japan and Cambodia together with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre. Estimates of how much land is affected vary widely depending on when and by whom they are announced. This article traces developments from a crane-equipped truck in 2023 to an international conference in Tokyo in 2025.
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Free Public Housing and One-Time Payments: Where Municipal Support for Ukrainian Evacuees Stands Now
Since spring 2022, prefectures and municipalities across Japan have offered vacant public housing rent-free and handed out their own one-time payments. Four years on, Hyogo Prefecture closed applications for its living-support payment in March 2025, and the city of Maebashi stopped accepting new arrivals in March 2026. Drawing on municipalities' official pages, this article lines up how these programs began and where they stand now.