On February 24th, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and as of today, a fierce war is still raging.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 1 million people have already fled the country as refugees. Moreover, as reported by NHK News , on March 2nd, 2022, Japanese PM Kishida Fumio announced that Japan would be providing humanitarian assistance, saying: "To show our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we will accept those who fled from Ukraine to a third country."

In response to the situation, Pan Pacific International Holdings, Inc. (PPIH), which operates the general discount store chain "Don Quijote," announced today, March 3rd, 2022, that the group and its founder, Takao Yasuda, in agreement with the government's policy, have decided to welcome 100 families of Ukrainian refugees that have been certified by the Japanese government. They will also provide these families with financial assistance, as well as support for their livelihood and work opportunities in Japan.

Their statement concludes with the following:

We hope that many of you will understand our intentions for this project, and that the circle of support for Ukrainian refugees will further expand in the future. We would greatly appreciate your support.

The PPIH group will continue to proactively provide humanitarian assistance from a long-term perspective.

Pan Pacific International Holdings Corporation official website

According to Japanese-language comments on social media, many people voiced their support for the company's efforts to help refugees in Ukraine. For example:

  • "It's a great corporate attitude. They may face difficulties living in Japan due to differences in language, culture, customs, etc., but I hope it will be a situation in which they think to themselves: 'I'm glad I came!'"
  • "I know there will be many hardships, but if they have a safe place to sleep and eat, I think that alone will be a relief for them."
  • "It's not easy to do something like that... It brings tears to my eyes. I hope other companies will do the same."

When war breaks out, many people are caught in a whirlwind of anxiety, wondering when the war will end and whether the day will ever come when they can live in peace.

Many also fear that similar wars will break out all over the world.

We can only hope that the war will end as soon as possible and that the day will come when the people of Russia and Ukraine can live in peace.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.