Diana Farah

DUBAI: The Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky’s photo has been circulating on Twitter after he posted a tweet of himself in Samurai gear on Feb. 15.

Due to ongoing violence between Ukraine and Russia, many took to the social media website claiming Korsunskey was the Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine, when he is in fact in Tokyo serving as the Ukrainian Ambassador.

The ambassador’s original tweet said: “We know what we are fighting for. How about Russia?”

We know what we are fighting for. How about Russia?
私たちは何のために戦っているのかを知っています。ロシアはどうですか？ pic.twitter.com/8FEInU3bWn

— セルギー・コルスンスキー駐日ウクライナ特命全権大使 (@KorsunskySergiy) February 15, 2022

The Saudi Post wrongly referred to Korsusnkey as the Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine, claiming the post was on Facebook, despite it being only on Twitter.

السفير الياباني لدى #أوكرانيا لم يغادر العاصمة الاوكرانية كييف بعد استلامه سيف الساموراي لجده الأكبر من #اليابان، حيث أعلن السفير في منشور له على الفيسبوك أن "الساموراي يجب أن يحمي البلد الذي هو فيه مهما كان الثمن" pic.twitter.com/DgClWeCrht

— The Saudi Post (@TheSaudi_post) February 24, 2022

As rumors circulated on Twitter, Arab News Japan spoke to Kamui Master Tetsuro Shimaguchi, a friend of the ambassador.

@kamuitetsuro
With Tetsuro Shimaguchi – friend, warrior, sensei.
Kengido training is about to begin))) pic.twitter.com/qfVjYwbMFS

— セルギー・コルスンスキー駐日ウクライナ特命全権大使 (@KorsunskySergiy) February 19, 2022

Shimaguchi said Korsunsky had taken the photo in Bogu three years prior. However, after tensions started to rise and risk of dispute along Russian-Ukrainian borders started to show, he posted the same picture in full Samurai gear as a “warning” to Russia.

The samurai gear and logo seen in the ambassador’s photo were designed by Shimaguchi. 

According to the Kamui Master, the pair even filmed a video of them practicing the art of the Japanese sword.

Korsunsky said in a Facebook post on Feb. 23 along with the video that he was “proud to be representing Ukraine in Japan.”

Shimaguchi had previously performed in Ukrainian capital Kiev in 2018, showing off the skills he had learned from Shimaguchi in Tokyo.

According to an interview this week with Shukan BunShun weekly magazine, the ambassador said he always watched movies involving samurais and had a longing to become one. When he started his post in Japan in 2020, he got in touch with Shimaguchi and asked him to prepare some costumes for him.

Korsunsky said that after posting the picture, he wanted to convey the message that Ukraine will protect its family and country like Samurais do.

The tweet received a massive response, with over 3,000 retweets and 12,000 likes. Many Japanese people commented, saying they felt his ‘Bushido,’ or his Samurai code of honor.

Korsunsky had previously visited Japan in 2016, to work for a project on Chernobyl and the Fukushima nuclear power plant, since Ukrainians had experienced a nuclear accident before.

Japan is currently supporting Ukraine, offering the war-torn country a $100 million USD loan, after Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio had a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 15.