The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies on Friday started an introductory course on the Ukrainian language, in hopes of boosting support for people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

The course, which consists of six classes and is free of charge, will be held until May 20 for people working at local governments and businesses that are accepting such Ukrainians.

Participants will learn phrases and words that are used in everyday life and in administrative procedures. The classes are held live using a videoconference system.

Hidehiko Nakazawa, professor emeritus at the university, who specializes in the Ukrainian language, teaches the course.

The first class of the course held on Friday was joined by around 70 people, who studied the pronunciation and spelling of Ukrainian expressions and words used for greetings.

A municipal official in Beppu in the southwestern prefecture of Oita, which has welcomed eight evacuees from Ukraine, said, “I hope to use phrases that I’ve learned here today to help them get used to their lives in Japan and to teach them Japanese.”

Voicing hopes that participants will make good progress on the Ukrainian language, Nakazawa said, “I want them to continue studying even after the six classes are over.”

The university is considering offering on-demand courses in the future if there are requests from local governments and others.

Over 600 people have fled to Japan from Ukraine, according to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

JIJI Press