Photo/Illutration Smoke and flames rise from the debris of a house in the aftermath of Russian shelling outside Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 24. Russia unleashed a barrage of air and missile strikes on Ukrainian facilities across the country. (AP Photo)

The popular Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof" was first performed in Japan in 1967.

Hisaya Morishige (1913-2009), who played the title role, is still remembered to this day for his memorable performance.

The musical has since become one of the most beloved in Japan. Actors who have replaced Morishige over the years in the iconic role include Tsunehiko Kamijo, Toshiyuki Nishida and Masachika Ichimura.

Set in a backwater village of the Russian Empire, this is a tale of family love featuring a hardworking Jewish milkman, Tevye, and his wife and five daughters.

The musical was based on "Tevye the Dairyman," a novel by author and playwright Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916), who resided at one time in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa.

Odessa was attacked by Russian troops on Feb. 24.

Hailed as "the pearl of the Black Sea," Odessa has long flourished as a hub of international trade and is sometimes called a "window opened to the Black Sea." The third largest city in Ukraine, it is also a famed tourist resort.

In an early morning televised speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that "all responsibility for any potential bloodshed will be on the conscience of the Ukrainian government."

And continuing his bombastic rhetoric, he addressed Ukrainian troops, ordering them to lay down their arms immediately and go home.

An old Ukrainian maxim goes to the effect, "Remain friends with your neighbor. But do not forget to build a fence."

Invaded by Mongolians and Ottoman Turks in olden times, Ukraine was more recently partitioned by Poland and the former Soviet Union.

In Ukraine's history, years of oppression and suffering have far surpassed years of peace.

And the nation is once again being invaded by its neighbor.

Sounds of explosions are reverberating in Odessa and people have been killed, according to reports.

There is not a shred of legitimacy in Russia’s barbaric conduct of redrawing the border with armed force.

The lustrous pearl of the Black Sea has been mercilessly crushed.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 25

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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