In 2024, Rotary District 2520 began planning its 60th anniversary Interact Annual Conference with a bold question: “What can we do that will truly stay in the hearts of young people?” The answer was not a ceremony, but a journey—connecting Japanese and Ukrainian Interactors through ongoing cultural exchange and peacebuilding.
Through a partnership with the Interact Club of School No. 27 in Cherkasy, Ukraine, and the historic Interact Club of Sendai Ikuei Gakuen (founded in 1963), students began meeting regularly on Zoom in September 2024.
Though the first meetings were a bit awkward, smiles increased with each session. Eventually, they no longer needed interpreters. So, when the Ukrainian students arrived in Sendai in July 2025, no one said, “Nice to meet you.”
That's how much they had already become "friends."
Experiencing Japanese culture together
During their visit, the students participated in a variety of cultural activities. At the Tsutsujigaoka Tenmangu Shrine, votive plaques were inscribed. They offered prayers for peace while participating in a Shinto ritual—a practice rooted in Japan’s indigenous religious traditions—accompanied by the sounds of gagaku, Japan's ancient court music. In doing so, they experienced a distinctly Japanese mode of “prayer,” coming into intimate contact with traditional culture.
With the support of the Rotary Club of Shiogama, the group joined the Shiogama Port Festival. Although the Ukrainian students were initially hesitant to wear yukata—an informal type of kimono typically worn during summer—they ultimately embraced the experience. As they gazed at the fireworks, their faces lit up with smiles, and they exclaimed, "Beautiful!"
After consulting with the Ukrainian students, the hosts and visitors planted a cherry blossom sapling at the Towa Keisetsu campus of Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School. The idea came from a Zoom meeting with the Mayor of Cherkasy. "Our city has cherry trees that were given to us by Japan in 2016, and they bring warmth to the hearts of our citizens every spring," the Mayor said. "I would like to plant cherry trees in the schoolyard of School No. 27, which will similarly teach the children the importance of freedom and peace." He hopes they will serve as a symbol of friendship between Japan and Ukraine, as well as of the Japan-Ukraine International Intercountry Committee, which is scheduled to be established soon.
Reflecting on freedom and peace
At the main event of the Interact Annual Conference, we welcomed Andrii Bukriirnko, Third Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan, to speak on "Freedom and Peace in Ukraine."
He defined freedom as the ability to choose one’s path, and peace as living with dignity, free from fear and oppression. He emphasized that peace is not just the absence of gunfire, but rather a state in which justice and human dignity are guaranteed, adding, "If that is not the case, it cannot be called true peace."
In the breakout session, the Ukrainian and Japanese students exchanged opinions in English, sometimes using translation apps, as they engaged in serious discussions.
"What is war?" "What is freedom?" "What can I do?"
It was profoundly moving to see them think together about such profound questions.
After returning home, Yaryna, a student at School No. 27, posted:
“It must have been hard for Japanese students to imagine what I was going through. But they listened and tried to understand. We had serious discussions about freedom and the pursuit of peace. It had been a long time since I felt truly at peace in a school. It made me reconsider the meaning of life, peace, and freedom.”
Her words were the best reward we could have received.
A small step towards peace
This year's Rotary President's message, Unite for Good, perfectly reflects this project.
Ukrainian students found a safe place to belong in faraway Japan, and Japanese students were able to face issues of war and peace as something that concerns them personally, rather than as something that concerns others.
It may have been just a small step, but it was one made possible by Rotary.
I’ll end with a quote from Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States and honorary Rotarian:
“We cannot always build a future for our youth, but we can always build our youth for the future.”
Small dreams take flight, connect, and change the future. We will continue to walk hand in hand with young people, supporting the future of Ukraine—however small our contribution may be. This is our humble promise to you, as we hope for peace.
This story is adapted from an article originally published on Rotary Japan
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