Japanese hit out at ‘completely crazy’ Ukraine aid in deadly Japan earthquake’s aftermath

Criticism of Japan’s aid to Ukraine has intensified after the quake, reflecting a shift away from unconditional support for the besieged nation

But others remain adamant that Japan must remain a reliable international partner – in case it too needs help in the event of a military attack

Reading Time:4 minutes

Residents of a quake-hit area wait for food distribution at a shelter in Anamizu, Ishikawa prefecture on Sunday. More than 160 Japanese lost their lives in the earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day. Photo: Kyodo News via AP

Published: 9:00am, 10 Jan 2024Updated: 9:10am, 10 Jan 2024

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Sunday saw her assure President Volodymyr Zelensky of Tokyo’s continued support in the war with Russia – but in her homeland there is a growing sense that the Japanese people are shifting away from unconditional backing for the besieged European nation.

Kamikawa’s visit, during which she promised Japan would provide Ukraine with US$37 million for an advanced drone-detection system and additional generators, was covered extensively by the Japanese media. It followed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledging US$4.5 billion to Ukraine last month, including US$1 billion in humanitarian aid to support recovery efforts.

As recently as October, a survey released by international consultancy GlobeScan showed that 77 per cent of Japanese people agreed with their government supporting Ukraine. But dissent appears to be growing after the latest pledges.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters

Those criticisms appear to have worsened significantly in the aftermath of the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto peninsula on January 1, leaving at least 202 dead and more than 100 still missing.

An online article by Jiji Press on Tuesday attracted a number of negative comments, with one asking: “What is the Japanese government doing in a place like this when so many people on the Noto peninsula are fighting cold and hunger? The US has begun withdrawing from Ukraine. Japan has been left behind and forced to look after Ukraine instead of the Noto peninsula.”

Another wrote: “Delivering aid money to Ukraine, which is refusing to stop a war that kills people while ignoring the helpless people of Noto, who are trapped in the rubble! It is clearly harmful to the national interest.”

Echoing the sentiment of conservatives in many countries, including Republicans in the United States, a post on the JapanToday website said: “This is completely crazy and stupid. Why [does] Japan want to waste US$37 million in a war that doesn’t belong to Japan?