Tokyo, Japan, will host the country’s first Ukrainian literature festival, Voices from Ukraine, on Dec. 12-14, 2025. According to the festival organizers, the event will bring together various Ukrainian authors and publishers.
The festival was initiated by Victoria Matyusha, director of the Ovo literary agency, and curated by literary agent Daria Murakami. The event will feature poetry performances, literary readings, book presentations, discussions, and meetings with authors.
In her comment to Chytomo, Murakami noted that the idea to hold the festival arose from a desire to present Ukrainian literature in Japan.
“About a year ago I learned that European countries hold their literary festivals in Tokyo every year: France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Germany. Even Russia holds one. But Ukraine doesn’t, and it is practically absent from the literary space in Japan. It hurt me to realize this,” Murakami said.
At this stage, the events are set to feature the following participants:
Olena Herasymiuk,
Tetiana Vlasova,
Pavlo Matyusha,
Marjana Savka (Old Lion Publishing House),
Olena Grabb (Magenta Books),
Tamara Duda, and
Victoria Matyusha (Ovo Literary Agency).
The festival will also feature books by the visiting authors and by Ukrainian publishers, and these titles will be available for purchase. Negotiations are ongoing, and the list of participating publishers is being finalized.
“My desire is to open the way for Ukrainian literature to Japan so that it becomes part of Tokyo’s literary life. I want the festival to become annual and for both Ukrainians and Japanese to look forward to it, and I want the Ukrainian language to interest more Japanese people so that they read, study, and translate our works. In addition, I want to show that even during the war, we have the strength to be creative. Ukrainians weren’t born for war; they were artists — just like in Japan — but when war came, they chose the path of their land’s defenders,” Murakami added.
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Matyusha emphasized the importance of Ukrainian literature being heard in the East, where its voice has been absent for a long time.
“Today, Ukrainian authors talk about war, freedom, dignity, memory, and future. These topics are extremely important to Japanese audiences, and they are the things they can relate to. We hope to build cultural bridges and tell the world about Ukraine, opening it up to new readers,” Matyusha added.
The festival is supported by the Renaissance Foundation. In Japan, support was provided by the Director of Shibuya Himawari Center, Mariko Ukiyo, and volunteers from Stand with Ukraine Japan.
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Copy editing: Joy Tataryn
AloJapan.com