On the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gabriel Dominguez joins the podcast to talk about the effects this war in Europe has had on Japan. We then speak to Japanese photojournalist Saphryn Shikaze, who is on the front lines of the conflict. Then, we ask Ukrainian student Natalia Makohon about her experience as an evacuee here in Tokyo.

Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez.

On this episode:

Gabriel Dominguez: Articles | Twitter

Saphryn Shikaze: Homepage | Twitter | Instagram

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Transcript:

Note: Deep Dive is made to be listened to, and we recommend this transcript be used as an accompaniment to the episode. This transcript has been generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcription, and may contain errors. Please check its accuracy against the episode.

Shaun McKenna  00:09  

Welcome to Deep Dive from The Japan Times. I'm Shaun McKenna. 

This week marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and on today's show we'll speak with Saphryn Shikaze, a Japanese photographer who now works in Ukraine's Donbas region. After that, we'll talk to Natalia Makohon, a Ukrainian student from that same region Saphryn is currently in, who now lives in Japan and is interning with us at The Japan Times. 

But first, I just want to reiterate that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine a year ago alarmed and shocked many governments around the world. The New York Times kind of beautifully described it as, quote, “a masterclass in dangerous and destructive leadership.” 

If you live in Japan, it can sometimes feel like the war is very far away. Still, you've probably felt some repercussions from what's going on there, likely in the form of a higher electricity or gas bill. Russia is a resource-rich nation, and with many countries opting to impose sanctions in response to its actions — Japan included —  we've seen surging inflation, commodity price spikes and heightened economic uncertainty. The fact that we were coming out of a global pandemic that caused disruption to the supply chain networks didn't help either. 

While it might not feel like it, ramifications from geopolitical tensions are already on our doorsteps — calculated in the way politicians draw up budgets and roll out travel restrictions. You can also see it in public opinion polls. In a lot of our reporting, you'll see how the war in Ukraine has affected the people's views on everything from a return to nuclear power to increased defense budgets. 

The double whammy of a pandemic followed by war also has Japanese businesses thinking seriously about geopolitics and preparing for a scenario in which the Russian invasion of Ukraine might be replicated between China and Taiwan. While there's no clear indication this will happen anytime soon. Japan is now able to imagine it happening and is moving to prepare. 

Japan Times defense reporter Gabriel Dominguez has just written a piece on how the war is accelerating changes to Japan's defense posture, and he's here with me to talk about it. 

Hi, Gabriel. Welcome back to Deep Dive.

Gabriel Dominguez  02:17  

Thanks, Shaun. Thanks for having me.

Shaun McKenna  02:19  

Gabriel, I guess let's start with a basic summary. How has the war in Ukraine affected Japan's foreign policy? 

Gabriel Dominguez  02:26  

Well, from the start Japan has made it clear that it views Russia's actions as a serious violation of international law. In fact, just a few hours into the invasion, Tokyo condemned Moscow's actions as having shaken the quote-unquote, “foundation of our rules-based international order,” and that's a position it has maintained since. Japan has also publicly denounced the killing of a large number of civilians by Russian forces. They've called it a grave breach of international humanitarian law and war crimes. On top of that, Japan has said that Russia must be held accountable for the atrocities being committed in Ukraine. What I'm trying to say is that Tokyo's main point here is that Russia must halt the invasion and immediately withdraw its forces back to Russian territory.

Shaun McKenna  03:13  

Besides verbal condemnation, what concrete steps has the Japanese government taken?

Gabriel Dominguez  03:18  

I think it's fair to say that the Japanese government has taken a number of swift and comprehensive actions to follow up on its verbal condemnation. For the most part, these measures can be divided into two parts, actions against Russia and those in support of Ukraine.

Shaun McKenna  3:35  

OK, what can you tell me about Japan's actions against Russia?

Gabriel Dominguez  3:39  

Well, these have mostly been in the form of unprecedented economic sanctions. They include joining international efforts, for instance, to freeze the Japan-held assets of Russian oligarchs and government officials. Tokyo has also frozen the assets of 11 Russian banks and their subsidiaries here in Japan. It has also sought to isolate Russia from the international financial system and the global economy by, for instance, helping exclude selected Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system. Another aspect is that Japan has introduced measures to prohibit new investments in Russia. And at the same time, it has imposed sanctions on the exports of certain goods, including those that could bolster Russia's industrial capabilities. That said, there have been some exceptions such as Japan's continued import of liquefied natural gas and its participation in the Sakhalin-2 LNG project.

Shaun McKenna  04:37  

What's the main point of the sanctions?

Gabriel Dominguez  04:39  

Well, the aim is to starve Russia of the revenue and financial resources needed to fund the war. The idea is that this would force Moscow to stop the war and retreat. 

Shaun McKenna  04:50

Well, that hasn't happened. 

Gabriel Dominguez  04:52  

That's right. In fact, the invasion has now turned into what appears to be a long war of attrition.

Shaun McKenna  04:57  

Meaning that they're simply trying to wear the other side down. 

Gabriel Dominguez  05:00  

Yes. However, just because Russia is doing this, it doesn't mean that the sanctions haven't at least partially worked. I think it's important to point out that every dollar that is denied to the Russian budget, and every piece of equipment that is not available to the Russian military is a step that helps Ukraine and those defending it.

Shaun McKenna  05:20  

On the other hand, what has Japan done to support Ukraine?

Gabriel Dominguez  05:24

I think both the Japanese government and the public have shown that they're genuinely concerned about the fate of the Ukrainian people. And this can be seen in a number of situations. For instance, Tokyo has provided a mix of humanitarian, financial and nonlethal military aid to Ukraine.

Shaun McKenna  05:40  

Can you give us some examples? 

Gabriel Dominguez  05:42  

Sure. So, Japan has provided about $600 million in financial support, and an additional $200 million in emergency humanitarian aid. It has also helped restore critical Ukrainian infrastructure, such as generators, and offered visa extensions to Ukrainian residents. Japan has also accepted about 2,000 evacuees from Ukraine, and airlifted humanitarian relief items from the United Nations.

Shaun McKenna  06:07  

How about the military aid you mentioned? That's often a sensitive issue here in Japan, right?

Gabriel Dominguez  06:12  

Yeah, that's right. So from a military perspective, Tokyo has provided aid to Ukraine in the form of, say, surveillance drones, bulletproof vests, helmets, tents, and medical supplies. However, unlike the United States, Australia and many European countries, it has not delivered weapons. That's because of Japan's current defense guidelines. However, that may change in the future. I think what's important is that these steps have not only practical but also symbolic value. They demonstrate that support for Ukraine isn't just concentrated in Europe and North America, but extends to other parts of the world.

Shaun McKenna  06:50 

Russia's actions have also affected Japan's defense policy, though perhaps not as directly as its foreign policy. So in what ways has defense policy changed?

Gabriel Dominguez  06:59  

Well, I don't think that the war has actually changed the reform trajectory the government was on before the invasion. But it's fair to say that that has accelerated efforts to overhaul Japan's defense posture. Specifically, I think it has to turn the posture into a more proactive one. For instance, a year ago, Japan was already on its way to increasing defense spending, acquiring long-range missiles, and expanding security partners beyond its alliance with the United States. But these things are now happening faster. One important aspect is that when the Ukraine conflict erupted, Tokyo was quick not only to condemn Moscow's aggression, but also to link the security situation in Europe to that in Asia. 

Shaun McKenna  07:42 

How so?

Gabriel Dominguez  07:43

Well, Japan's big concern has been that a Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden China, to do the same with Taiwan, that would likely trigger a regional security crisis and further tilt the balance of power in Beijing's favor. By making this argument. Japan has kind of convinced the public that something similar could happen on this side of the world. And as a result, people here might be more open to a more robust defense posture.

Shaun McKenna  08:11  

So if the invasion hadn't happened, then the Japanese population could have been more concerned about what might be seen as an increase in military spending, and a move away from postwar pacifism.

Gabriel Dominguez  08:23  

Yes, so if the public wasn't swayed by what was happening in China and North Korea, then the Russian invasion drove home the message that security challenges are real, and need to be taken seriously. I mean, the Japanese public have actually been seeing it play out on TV, and I'm sure it has left an impression on them.

Shaun McKenna  08:41  

OK, Gabriel, thanks for coming on.

Gabriel Dominguez 08:43  

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Shaun McKenna  08:57  

Like Gabriel was saying, the people of Japan have responded to the invasion of Ukraine in a pretty strong way. It's come through visual support in the way of art projects in Tokyo, trains painted in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and Takamatsu and individual donations to a relief fund totaling around ¥2 billion  — that's $17 million. Saphryn Shikaze took his interest a step further. He's a freelance photographer who has traveled to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine to document what's going on there. We were able to connect with him over video chat. 

Saphryn Welcome to Deep Dive.

Saphryn Shikaze  09:32  

Thanks for having me.

Shaun McKenna  09:33  

Where exactly are you just now?

Saphryn Shikaze  09:36  

So I'm in Kramatorsk right now, which is the city in Donbas, and that's Donetsk oblast. And Donetsk and Luhansk, as you know, are two of the several oblasts that Russia is trying to take.

Shaun McKenna  09:49  

So what are you doing there?

Saphryn Shikaze  09:51 

So when this war broke out, I decided to drop everything I had, and really focus on documenting the war, essentially documenting the development of humanitarian corridors. That is the theme with which I've come to Ukraine. So my official status in Ukraine, which allows me to stay legally, is photojournalist. I embed with as many groups as I can, I get to know as many groups as I can. And getting to know them and publishing stories about them, that's part of the journalism. 

The part of the photography that I do, that I really focus on, is really giving those organizations that I follow the material that they can then work with, in order to raise funds on their own. So a lot of people allow me to hop in their car, hop in their ambulance, embed with their unit, etc. And so the whole goal was to document the entire gamut, which is all the way from fundraiser in Japan or warehouse worker in Poland, all the way to the front lines, the volunteer soldier. So I'm just trying to capture that whole spectrum, and then put something together into perhaps a documentary.

Shaun McKenna  10:59  

All right. OK. Take me back to this time last year, where were you and what do you remember feeling when Russia's invasion of Ukraine kicked off?

Saphryn Shikaze  11:08  

Yeah, so I was in Fukuoka, Japan, teaching English part time. While on the side, I was spending most of my time building a school. It's a school up in the villages of Kawabaru in Japan. And that was only just the beginning, when this war began. Then when this war did begin, Feb. 24, I couldn't believe that the war was happening. Definitely took me a few days for that fact to really set in. And I had been following Ukraine and the war in the Donbas since 2013, when the Maidan revolutions kicked off, I remember, Vice News was covering a lot of it, some of the Japanese media was covering a lot of it, I saw a lot of this kicking off in 2013. And that's when I really became interested in Ukraine. And I wondered to myself, who are these people who are standing up to getting their faces smashed in during demonstrations, getting shut down by the most violent and brutal police forces, all kinds of rights were being violated. And as the Maidan revolution unfolded the spirit of Ukrainians to stand up for a sovereign independent country, you can tell how strong that spirit was. And I was honestly very, very moved and inspired. So I had been following Ukraine for a while. So once I realized that a full-scale invasion was happening, I immediately had to do something. But yeah, it was, it was a gut feeling, you could say, that I had at that moment, and I followed through on it.

Shaun McKenna  12:39  

Had you ever done something like this before, like headed into a dangerous situation like this?

Saphryn Shikaze  12:43  

Heading into a dangerous situation? If you ask my family, they’d say, “yes, many times before.” But a war zone is something completely different to me, I've never covered a single war in my life, let alone imagining that — that's not something I really did, growing up or in my professional life. So sometimes, I really surprised myself, that I'm here inside of a war, especially when I'm on the front lines with soldiers. Sometimes I wonder, “Wow, how did I, how did I get here? How’d I end up here?”

Shaun McKenna  13:18  

So how do you get from wanting to go to actually getting there? Like, I'm sure it's not just like, book a flight and go, is it?

Saphryn Shikaze  13:25  

Yeah, it's a little bit more complicated that I would say, but one of the advantages I had was, as a Japanese citizen you're really able to fly almost anywhere in the world. So that's the part I really didn't have to worry about — getting a visa or anything like that. That being said, I didn't know if I would get stopped at the airport due to some kind of COVID tests that I didn’t take, or any of the really big risks that might hamper me getting there. So I really have to cover a lot of ground before leaving. And it took me about a month to really prepare everything for this long journey to Ukraine. So that meant I had to get my stuff together, I have to make sure that my gear was ready and had all the gear I needed. I was looking for a bag that I can take to really, really wild places, perhaps a waterproof bag — all of these little things. So as you're gathering all of your material, you're also gathering a bunch of information and contacts, like who do I stay with when I get there, where do I go? So these things really, really took some time. 

So, I think I booked my ticket in mid-March, I believe, and I delayed the flight by two weeks to April 10. And that's when I flew off to Warsaw. And in Warsaw, I spent a few days and on the fifth day I was able to enter Ukraine through a humanitarian aid van. 

Shaun McKenna  14:53  

Can you walk us through your average day in Ukraine?

Saphryn Shikaze  14:55  

Average day in Ukraine? Wow. That's uh, that's a difficult one, I could talk to you about slow day? A slow day would be, you wake up, you figure out how to make breakfast with whatever it is that's in your fridge. And after a huge pot of coffee, I'll try to journal if I can, I'm not running off somewhere. And during that day, I would edit photos, start writing a story or a post. On a busy day … on a busy day, I won't be touching my computer, I'll be out with a team, someone will come pick me up, send me to a gas station somewhere where an ambulance will come pick me up, I'll roll with the ambulance. For example, two-and-a-half hours from now, I'll be heading out to see Siversk, Siversk is the city north of Bakhmut and Siversk is getting surrounded, slowly surrounded again. And so our hope is that the people still living in Siversk, the second time around that the Russians approach, they'll start realizing, OK, this is not a place to be living at the moment, the best thing to do is to evacuate. And if they feel that way, we want to be ready to pick them up. And so this is sort of like a recon mission. And since we don't want to go empty handed, it will bring some humanitarian aid. And the reason I specifically chose Siversk is because there's a family living in a big basement in Siversk that I was able to meet last summer. Rumor has it that some of that family, or some of the people who are living there, are still there. The conditions were horrid back then. And so I really want to check up on that basement, specific basement, and the people living in it to see if an evacuation is something they're even thinking about.

Shaun McKenna  16:44  

What have the Ukrainian people told you about how life has changed for them? From your experience, how do you feel the war is affecting them?

Saphryn Shikaze 16:53  

I think the daily life for Ukrainians has changed quite drastically. I was in Kyiv, just few days ago, Kyiv and Dnipro, and the bulk of those big cities, when there's an air siren, a lot of the shops have to close, especially if you're a big franchise, say your McDonald's or a gas station or something like that. They all have to close, they all have to kick everyone out every time there's a fire alarm. So if you imagine within an hour, so you'll walk into McDonald's — as you're ordering as the fire alarm goes off. So you have to leave, you have to stop ordering, and the fire alarm stops. So you go back and you're like, OK, I can order now. And you get your food and the fire alarm goes off again. But then you have to leave the  premises again, because theoretically, you know, everyone needs to get out, get into bunkers, etc. But if you have a population of 38 million, leading their day-to-day whatevers, and scrambling to bunkers and basements — every time there's a fire alarm — there’s just, there's no way a country can function. Actual cities and city centers and apartment buildings, as you've seen online and on the news, are being bombarded. I don't know of a single Ukrainian who hasn't been affected in some direct way, losing a family member or having a family member on the front line. A lot of people have, you know, their brother, their husband, their cousin on the front, their sister. Yeah, it's affected every single aspect of society. I think.

Shaun McKenna  18:25  

With the war approaching the one-year mark, do you see an end to the fighting anytime soon?

Saphryn Shikaze 18:31  

My estimation is that this war will continue for some time. It's really hard to tell exactly where Russia is in regards to their financial situation, in regards to their ability to recruit new conscripts, it's really hard to tell exactly, I think a military specialist would know a lot better, but you never really know, I don't think. But from the looks of it, especially on the front line, the feeling is, well, this war can last for a very long time. And Russia can keep the pressure for a very long time. That's how it feels here. And I think that's how every nonprofit should be operating here, with the assumption that this war is going to continue. Now, that's not to say that we shouldn't have urgency, and we shouldn't be tackling the problems that arise immediately as they arrive. But yeah, I think every organization, everyone watching and following Ukraine should probably expect an extended conflict.

Shaun McKenna  19:34  

Hmm. Well, Saphryn, thanks for joining us on Deep Dive. I hope you stay safe out there.

Saphryn Shikaze  19:40  

But thank you, I really appreciated this interview, and any opportunity that I get to really bring some light to the truth here in Ukraine. I will take that opportunity. So thank you for that.

Shaun McKenna  20:02  

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Japan has, at last count, welcomed just over 2,000 evacuees into the country to take shelter. Note the term “evacuee” here, Japan has a notoriously tough refugee policy with a very narrow definition as to who exactly classifies as a refugee. Support for these evacuees, and by some extension other refugees has been growing in Japanese society, with cafes and classes opening up in an effort to help Ukrainians who have come here for the time being. Natalia Makohon is one such evacuee. She left Ukraine in March of last year and has written about it for The Japan Times. That piece will come out this week alongside other coverage on the anniversary of the war. She's also working as an intern on this podcast. Natalia, welcome to the hot seat.

Natalia Makohon  20:53  

Thank you, Shaun.

Shaun McKenna  20:54  

So you've written a first-person account of what it was like to leave Ukraine after the Russian invasion? Would you be able to read the first few paragraphs of your piece for our listeners?

Natalia Makohon  21:05  

Sure. 

I’m at home in bed, blanketed in a thick silence. It’s not a comfortable silence, I have a lot on my mind. It’s Feb. 24, 2022. 

I can hear loud bangs in the distance — it could be fireworks. Then, car alarms — one, two, three. I want to sleep, but the noises are too loud, too out of the ordinary. I open my eyes and read the clock; it’s 4:30 a.m. I glance out the window, and I can see smoke rising from the direction of the airfield. 

My mother pokes her head in my room and says, “Кицюня, війна почалася (Dear, the war has started).” Another bang, this time I feel the house tremble. 

Shaun McKenna  21:52  

Thank you for that. Have you been back to Ukraine since you left?

Natalia Makohon   21:56  

Unfortunately, no. I left my hometown at the end of March, and in April there was a Russian missile attack on the railway station in my hometown, where more than 50 people died — when they just wanted to evacuate and were waiting for the train. So, rail service stopped until mid-autumn, and I couldn't come back home because the situation was extremely dangerous, but also it was impossible.

Shaun McKenna  22:22  

Right. You ended up heading to Poland before going to Germany by way of France. You were also traveling with your mother, how is she doing?

Natalia Makohon  22:31  

So, my mother is one of the strongest people that I know. And I remember she was so upset, and I felt her stress. Despite all of this she remained incredibly focused and demonstrated the impressive level of confidence and bravery. I think it was the most difficult journey in our life, and I'm so proud of her.

Shaun McKenna  22:52  

How do you keep in contact with her? 

Natalia Makohon  22:55  

Well, thanks to messengers like Viber or Telegram, I can contact her on video. And I try to call my mom every day. But we have a time difference of eight hours and for this reason, it's not always comfortable and possible.

Shaun McKenna  23:10  

Right. How did you end up in Japan?

Natalia Makohon  23:13  

Well, when I was in Germany, I applied for different opportunities for students to continue my education. And it wasn't a piece of cake because my major is TV and radio journalism, and it's not so popular abroad. Yeah, but I didn't give up and, finally, I won a scholarship in Japan that changed my life a half year ago, and helped me continue my education.

Shaun McKenna  23:39 

Had you ever had an interest in Japan before this? 

Natalia Makohon  23:43  

To be honest, I have never been interested a lot in Japan, because it's so far from Europe. And it seemed to me impossible to visit it because of the hard and long process of visa, and not to mention the expensive airfare. 

Shaun McKenna  23:56  

Ah, yeah. Well, Japan has received around 2,000 evacuees from Ukraine. Have you met many Ukrainians since arriving in Japan?

Natalia Makohon 24:05  

I study with eight Ukrainian girls, the same university, and two of them are my roommates at the dorm, and it's really great. In general, I met other Ukrainian students in Tokyo but not a lot. But also evacuated Ukrainians created groups in social media, where we can help each other with different important or daily routine questions.

Shaun McKenna  24:30  

OK, what kinds of challenges are they having with life here?

Natalia Makohon   24:33  

I think that one of the biggest challenges is a language barrier. You know, most Ukrainians don't speak Japanese, and communication is really difficult. And also for this reason, finding work in Japan is a complicated process. Because if you don't speak fluently, Japanese, it's really hard to find anything.

Shaun McKenna  24:55  

What were your first impressions upon arriving here?

Natalia Makohon  24:58  

So, in Europe, Japan is seen as like the future, and I totally agree that this country is another planet, it's hard to compare Japan with other countries because it's absolutely different and unique. I guess I expected to see a lot of people, which I did it. But it was a surprise to me that they were so polite. And at university I met Mirai. She showed me Tokyo from different sides, and helped me a lot with my issues and questions, and I so appreciate her.

Shaun McKenna 25:32

OK, so she's a Japanese student. 

Natalia Makohon  25:33

Yeah, Japanese student, and I met her firstly, and she really helped me a lot. And I'm so glad that I have a friend like Mirai.

Shaun McKenna  25:45  

Well, we'll also say thanks to Mirai on behalf of The Japan Times. What has been the biggest challenge being here?

Natalia Makohon  25:53  

So time into Japan has been a great experience. But it's hard to have a great time when so much horror is happening at home. And every day, every hour, I read news from Ukraine, and it doesn't matter where I am — on the train,u, university, dorm or shop — when I tried to enjoy life in Tokyo I know my friends, Ukrainian soldiers and citizens die. This understanding kills me, and I just have to believe in our victory, continue donating and pray for every Ukrainian to stay safe.

Shaun McKenna  26:28  

Well, Natalia, it may be under difficult circumstances. But we're very glad to have you with us here at The Japan Times.

 Natalia Makohon  26:36  

Thank you so much, Shaun.

Shaun McKenna  26:40  

If you would like to show support to the people of Ukraine, Saphryn was kind enough to share some tips on how to do so from Japan. He says donations to NGOs and aid groups that know how to best decide the kind of support needed on the ground is most effective, and that groups such as the Red Cross or United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are good choices. But the Japan-based group Sakura to Himawari is one that he works with closely. 

Saphryn adds that Ukrainians he has spoken to have expressed their appreciation for hokaron hand warmers during the winter in particular. 

Elsewhere in The Japan Times, Anika Osaki Exum writes about how, as the corporate world races to find new talent, Japan’s Justice Ministry is set to introduce new immigration pathways for high-income earners and elite students. And, seven major electric companies have applied to the government to boost their rates, for example the Tokyo Electric Power Company has applied to raise its rates by as much as 29.31% from June, and Hokkaido’s power company has applied to increase rates by 32%. Kathleen Benoza has written about how you can try to stem your electricity use. 

Production for Deep Dive is by Dave Cortez. Our intern is Natalia Makohon, and the outgoing track is by Oscar Boyd. Our theme song is by the Japanese artist LLLL. Thanks for joining us and, until next time, podtsukaresama.