All articles
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The JLPT Is Held Twice a Year — Only Once, in December, in Ukraine
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has five levels, N1 through N5, and is held twice a year in Japan, in July and December. The fee for the December 2026 test in Japan is 7,500 yen, and registration has already closed. In Ukraine, the test is held only in December, in Kyiv and elsewhere; 223 people sat the test in Kyiv in December 2025 (as of September 2026).
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In Ukraine, You Choose Your Family Doctor Regardless of Address and File a “Declaration”
A 2017 law in Ukraine created the "Program of Medical Guarantees," under which the state pays in full for eight kinds of medical care, including emergency care and primary care. Payment is handled by the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU), and patients choose their family doctor regardless of address and file a "declaration." This article introduces the 14 reasons a declaration ends, drawn from the law and orders of the Ministry of Health.
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Ten of Fifteen Members Gone: How Ukraine’s Judicial Reform Began with a Council in Crisis
When the EU granted Ukraine candidate status, the first two conditions concerned the judiciary: remaking, with the involvement of international experts, the council that appoints judges, the commission that selects them, and the way Constitutional Court justices are chosen. This article follows the process from a 2021 law to the European Commission's 2025 report.
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Ukraine Grades on a 12-Point Scale — Except Grades 1–2, Which Get No Numbers at All
Ukrainian school grades run from 1 to 12 points, with 12 the highest. The 12 points are divided into four bands of three points each — "initial," "medium," "sufficient" and "high." The scale switched in 2000 from a 4-point scale (2 to 5); in 2026, a new evaluation system was set that assesses grades 1–2 in words only.
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Japan’s Support for Ukraine: About $20 Billion in Total — the Single Largest Item Is a Loan Repaid From Russian Assets
In February 2026, the Japanese government stated that its support for Ukraine totaled "about $20 billion in total." This figure combines amounts pledged and amounts actually disbursed, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' pages do not show a breakdown by field. The single largest item is a loan of 471.9 billion yen, to be repaid from the earnings on Russia's frozen assets. This article traces the announcements with a clear amount and date, starting from the $100 million pledge in 2022.
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Over 75,000 Women Now Serve in Ukraine’s Armed Forces; Registration Is Mandatory Only in Medicine
Ukrainian law allows women to serve on the same terms as men and limits wartime call-up to those who volunteer. Mandatory military registration for women has been rewritten three times in four years since 2021, and now applies only to women with a medical or pharmaceutical qualification. This article lays out the figures the Ministry of Defense and others have announced, each with its date and source.
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Caps on Salt and Sugar, One Free Meal for Every Grade: Ukraine’s School Lunches
A 2021 Cabinet resolution revised the standards for Ukraine's school lunches, setting rules such as a cap of 5 grams of added sugar per 100 grams of a finished dish, and a ban on serving carbonated drinks or coffee. A free meal was extended to all primary school students in 2024, and, from September 2026, to every grade at public schools (as of September 2026).
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How Much Will the State Pay for One Film? Ukraine’s Film Support Law and Its Open Calls
Ukraine's film support was established by a 2017 law and substantially rewritten by an amendment in June 2026. The state can cover up to 70% of production costs for a commercially oriented film, up to 80% for a children's or festival-oriented film, and up to 100% for an educational film or a debut work. This article traces, from the statutory text, where the money comes from, how open calls are decided, the rebate for foreign shoots, and the provisions that shut out Russian films.
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Within 14 Days of Moving: The Words You’ll Meet in Japan’s Resident Registration System
In Japan, once you settle at an address in a municipality, you file a notification of moving in (tennyū todoke) within 14 days. If a medium- to long-term resident files this notification with their residence card, it also completes the notification of residence required under the Immigration Control Act at the same time. This article explains the terms you'll encounter at the counter — juminhyo, a copy of the juminhyo, a certificate of moving out, My Number, appointment booking for moving in — in the order you'll meet them.
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The Kharkiv Plant That Makes Nuclear Plant Turbines, Formerly Turboatom
Turboatom, a turbine plant in Kharkiv that began operating in 1934, has built turbines for nuclear, thermal, and hydroelectric power plants. It merged with another company and changed its name in 2021, and remains on the Cabinet's list of large-scale privatization targets while the state still holds more than 75% of its shares. This article traces the plant's history, what it makes, the state's stake, and its activity under the full-scale invasion.