15-yr-old Ukrainian evacuee calls for support for home country in concert near Tokyo
(Mainichi Japan)
YACHIYO, Chiba -- A 15-year-old Ukrainian evacuee called for support for her home country as she took part in a charity concert held here on May 22, playing a beautiful piano melody.
To flee the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Khrystyna Oksanych left Kyiv with her mother and came to Japan in March, relying on a relative for support. She is currently studying subjects including the Japanese language at a high school in Tokyo. Her relative in Japan, singer Denys Vyshnia, 44, has been living in the country for more than 10 years and also performed in the concert. He asked the Yachiyo Municipal Government to let Oksanych join, and her stage appearance was decided at the last minute.
At the end of the concert, performers sang the Ukrainian national anthem, and received enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Oksanych said, "I'm happy that my current emotions seemed to reach the audience. I'd like to keep doing what I can for Ukraine through music, which I like."
(Japanese original by Yuki Miyatake, Photo Group)