But first things first.

In December 2023, when Shuriken-tsu visited Tokyo, we were invited to a formal audience with the mayor of Tokyo’s Tama City, Mr. Abe Hiroyuki.

The meeting was attended by our students, the founder of Shuriken Language School Irina Krutenko, the management of Tokyo Sakuragaoka Institute Language Academy, as well as correspondents from Japan’s two largest newspapers, Asahi Shinbun and Yomiuri Shinbun.

The conversation took place in a friendly atmosphere. Shuriken presented Mr. Abe with ethnic souvenirs from Ukraine, and it is especially nice to remember that despite his incredibly busy schedule, Mr. Abe spent almost an hour with our students, which was a sign of great respect for the guests. Of course, we wanted to talk about everything at once.

We talked about learning Japanese in today’s world, students’ plans for their lives and careers, rapid changes in modern life, and more. Shuriken-tsu shared their unique dreams for their future and for Japan. “I want to be an IT specialist and live in Japan!” “And I want to become a translator…” “And I plan to become a doctor and get additional education in Japan” — these were the dreams voiced by our young guests from Ukraine.

Since the main goal of our students was not only to get acquainted with Japan, but also to pass the JLPT exam, Mr. Abe sincerely wished the Shuriken-ts success in passing the exam. “Be sure to come to Japan to pursue your future education!” added the mayor.

In turn, the founder of Shuriken Language, together with the administration of the Tokyo Sakuragaoka Institute, spoke about a joint educational and cultural project that opens up truly broad horizons for Shuriken Language students.

At the end of the meeting, the mayor… took a small Hello Kitty soft toy off the shelf. And here we need to explain what’s what. Because who hasn’t heard of Kitty! However, not everyone knows that this character was “born” at the local Sanrio studio, right in the Tama area! Therefore, she is the official mascot of this area. So it is not surprising that this cat was also depicted on the gifts that our students received from Mr. Abe.

In addition, the mayor invited the Ukrainian guests to the grand opening of the Christmas tree and presented them with tickets to Sanrio Puroland theme park.

Articles appeared in the Asahi Shinbun, Yomiuri Shinbun, and Taun Nyusu newspapers the following morning. We recall our meeting with great gratitude and joy!