The Japanese government flew 20 Ukrainian refugees into Tokyo on Tuesday in a high-profile show of solidarity for the worldwide effort to assist Ukraine by a country that has traditionally been hesitant to accept foreigners.

The 20 Ukrainian refugees, who vary in age from 6 to 66 and include 15 women, are not the first to come in Japan since Russia invaded their homeland on February 24, but they are the first to be carried in on a special government plane on a journey organised by Japan's foreign minister. "The government of Japan is committed to providing maximum support to these 20 Ukrainians in order to help them live in peace in Japan, despite the fact that they are far away from their home country," Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Poland shortly before he and the refugees set off for Japan.

Hayashi landed on a separate aeroplane shortly before the 20. He had been assessing the refugee situation in Poland. In a live broadcast, NHK, Japan's national broadcaster, showed their arrival. According to NHK, their jet was seen on the tarmac while the 20 conducted COVID-19 testing on board.

homogenous in terms of ethnicity Despite an ageing population and a persistent labour shortage, Japan has long been cautious of foreign migrants, yet opinion polls show that the clear majority of Japanese support giving Ukrainians asylum. The 20 will join roughly 400 other Ukrainian refugees who have come in the aftermath of the Russian assault.

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