Photo/Illutration Kiyoshi Sasaki, second from left, and other staff helping him to prepare for the opening of an inn at the Naruko hot spring resort (Provided by Kiyoshi Sasaki)

OSAKI, Miyagi Prefecture--Inn owner Kiyoshi Sasaki cried when he heard from one of the 10 young Ukrainians whom he had recruited to work at his Naruko hot spring resort here. 

In late February, a 24-year-old recruit who had just graduated from university sent a message asking Sasaki if she could bring along her 17-year-old brother and 7-year-old sister to the inn he is opening.

They are trying to see if they can reach Japan via Poland. The Russian invasion has made it difficult or even impossible for some of his recruits to come to Japan. 

“Even at her young age, she must now take care of the entire family,” said Sasaki, 60, president of a construction company. “Tears came to my eyes when I read her desperate message.”

Sasaki is now leaning toward accepting Ukrainian evacuees to the facility, in part because it can accommodate up to 1,600 people.

He was in frequent contact with Ukrainians as he prepared for an April opening. However, Sasaki was still very surprised by the messages he received over social media on Feb. 24 describing the fear his recruits felt with the start of the Russian invasion.

The 10 Ukrainians in their 20s and 30s included some who just recently graduated from a Ukrainian university majoring in Japanese. They were supposed to arrive in Japan from early this year.

But the novel coronavirus pandemic closed Japan’s doors to newly arriving foreigners and now the Russian invasion has led to the recruits fleeing their homes and not knowing if they will ever make it to Japan.

A 33-year-old woman who has been helping Sasaki prepare for the inn opening from last autumn has sent him photos and videos of Ukrainian cities being bombed.

She fled to the mountains in western Ukraine from Kyiv, but told Sasaki on April 5 that she planned to return to the Ukrainian capital because of reports the Russian military had moved out of the area.

Another Ukrainian man in his 20s had also planned to work at Sasaki’s inn, but he sent a message saying he was joining the Ukrainian military. He also sent a photo of himself holding an automatic weapon and wearing a bulletproof vest with “Japan” written in Ukrainian and kanji.

But Sasaki has not heard from him since.

Sasaki first developed an interest in Ukraine five years ago. He became acquainted with Japanese living in Ukraine and realized there were many young and talented Ukrainians.

That was when he was finalizing plans to open an inn in the Naruko area.

While he is praying that his recruits can somehow reach Japan safely, the reports of Ukrainian evacuees fleeing their nation have also led Sasaki to come up with other ideas to take some of them in at his inn.

The inn complex is made up of eight buildings and most rooms have kitchens because the intent was to accommodate long-term guests who wanted to use the hot spring for health reasons. Because the inn was being prepared with the intention of having guests prepare their own meals, Sasaki says that he could accept about 800 Ukrainian evacuees.

He has discussed the procedures for entry and obtaining the proper visa with Immigration Services Agency officials.

“It is very painful having to watch their towns being destroyed,” Sasaki said. “Since I have developed ties with Ukraine, I feel I cannot ignore their plight, and I want to help as many Ukrainians as possible.”

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