Mariia, 12, fled the devastation of the war in Ukraine and now lives in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, with her mother and younger brother. She used to be positive and popular, but now in Japan she struggles to deal with the language barrier and to settle into her class. Mariia's classmates are doing their best to support her. Mikoto and Hanna especially want to become her friends. The three girls are finally able to overcome their language differences and build a deep relationship.
Stories about people, stories about life.
Hometown stories.
The girl seems extremely lonely.
Her name is Mariia.
She is 12 years old.
She fled the war in Ukraine and is now enrolled at a school in central Japan.
I never talk about the war with Mariia.
I'd feel so sorry for her.
I want to go back home to Ukraine
and see my friends there.
Her classmates have started to take action to support her.
You're cute!
This girl is always at the center of the class, livening up the atmosphere.
Her heart is fragile, just like glass.
We need to be kind to her.
This quiet girl is also from another country.
I don't want to see Mariia sad.
We look back on the 10 months during which a shy girl was coaxed out of her shell.
Kyocho Elementary School in Obu City, central Japan...
We first meet Mariia there in May 2022.
Good morning.
Mariia joined the 6th grade a month ago.
She's now studying with 30 classmates.
Mariia's classmates gather round and speak to her.
- "Ne, Ko" (Cat).
- "Neko."
You blink so fast!
Amazing!
Oh, you're so cute.
She might look as though she has settled in among her classmates.
I don't understand Japanese.
I don't know what to do.
I don't even understand what fun is.
Are you 11 years old, Mariia?
11 years...old?
Mariia should really be in junior high.
But she entered this elementary school because it offers a Japanese language class.
I'm working hard
in Japanese language class.
But I don't seem to be improving.
Mariia never speaks to her classmates unless spoken to.
When I'm at school, my mind
is miles away, in Ukraine.
"Her classmates are considerate of her feelings."
We try to avoid words like 'Russia'
or 'war' as much as possible.
I thought her mental scars might never heal.
- We've not had mashed potato for a while.
- True. We often used to eat it.
Mariia lives with her mother and younger brother.
They came to Japan to join relatives here.
They lived in Zhytomyr, some 130 kilometers from the capital, Kyiv.
My favorite place in Zhytomyr is
Mykhailivska St.
They'd put up a lot of colorful umbrellas
there.
I like my hometown.
It's very quiet and comfortable.
But in March 2022...
A missile landed just 200 meters
from our home.
They decided that all the family except her father should flee to Japan.
Mariia often asks me
when we can go back to Ukraine.
I want her to go to school and make friends
of her own age while in Japan.
We'll allocate classroom chores.
On the first day of the second term, they begin assigning themselves classroom duties.
But Mariia doesn't seem to know what is going on.
Two children speak to Mariia with the aid of a translation app.
Hanna, a girl from the Philippines, and Mikoto.
"How about blackboard cleaning duty with us?"
The front one or the back one?
They opt to do blackboard-cleaning duty together.
At first, I wondered
how to approach her.
Someone sitting near Mariia was helping her.
But she was at a loss.
So, I decided to go help.
Super cool!
Mikoto always brightens up the atmosphere in class.
She is studying Ukrainian and teaching it to other students to bring them closer to Mariia.
"Photoshoot for graduation album."
You're cute.
Super cute!
She's left her friends behind in Ukraine.
She must be feeling gloomy and sad.
I think it's up to me to speak to her.
I can't NOT do it.
But on a school trip to Kyoto and Nara in late September...
Mariia was nowhere to be seen.
"She was at home drawing."
I wouldn't have understood
a thing even if I'd gone.
I didn't think I could enjoy myself.
I want to go back home to Ukraine
and see my friends there.
"Mariia was popular at her school in Ukraine."
"She used to model, too."
Every night before bedtime,
I imagine myself taking a walk there
with my best friend or my family.
In October, 2022, the situation in Ukraine took a turn for the worse.
I've just seen a missile flying.
My hands are trembling.
Cities and villages across Ukraine were hit by massive missile attacks.
Mom!
I was chatting with my best friend
on social media.
She said she heard a loud explosion.
I couldn't stop crying
as I didn't hear from her after that.
Mariia kept this shocking experience to herself.
In class...
the children are rehearsing for a presentation on world cultures for an open-class day.
What's the meaning of the three colors
in the French flag?
Blue represents the sea, white means friends
and red means equality.
For Mariia's sake, they have removed the Russian flag from the bunting in the hallway.
Immediately after the rehearsal...
Mariia sinks to the floor.
She then rushes to the bathroom and shuts herself away.
She is crying.
Mikoto and her other classmates start trying to puzzle out what is making her so sad.
- The French flag resembles Russia's.
- When it's the wrong way around.
It looked like the Russian flag,
which must have reminded Mariia of the war.
We were so careful...
Gee, we messed up.
Hanna, the girl from the Philippines, springs into action.
She gets the translation app from Mikoto and goes to the bathroom.
Mariia tells her what has made her cry.
Mariia is sad because
she doesn't understand Japanese.
Everyone says she's doing great,
but she doesn't think so.
The reason for Mariia's tears is not what Mikoto and the others imagined.
Hanna stays with Mariia until she calms down.
I told her, "I know how hard it is
to learn Japanese. You're not alone."
I also felt lonely
because I couldn't make friends.
"Hanna came to Japan from the Philippines
when she was five."
I don't want to see Mariia sad.
Mariia wants to do something for Ukraine from Japan.
At the end of October, Mariia participates in a local festival, selling her paintings to raise money for Ukraine.
On the Internet, I saw
pictures of mothers and babies...
fleeing from a maternity hospital
bombed by Russia.
That's why I decided to draw these pictures.
"A local obstetrics and gynecology clinic
got one of her paintings."
Over there.
It's really lovely.
"Hanging right next to the delivery room."
What a coincidence! I'm speechless.
Please stay well.
Thank you.
The three friends, Mariia, Mikoto and Hanna...
They are spending more and more time together.
Is it yummy?
It's Mariia's first field trip.
During lunchtime...
Would you give it a sniff?
"Umm? What's this smell?"
"- Sauce for the fried chicken?"
- Yes. Sweet chili sauce.
It's hot.
"Then, Hanna..."
"What have you done!"
Are you OK?
Hanna is kind and funny.
We don't speak the same language,
but we can understand each other...
better than anyone else.
Mikoto is sociable and has a lot of friends.
She helps me whenever I'm in trouble.
I'm not alone.
I'm no longer alone.
Since Mariia arrived in Japan, there's one thing that has been occupying her time.
She helps a professional magician, an acquaintance of her relatives.
Do you think you can do it?
Yes. But I need more practice.
Actually, she has something in mind.
I want to show my magic
to Hanna and Mikoto.
A charity magic show is being held to support Ukraine.
A big round of applause, please.
"Mariia has invited the two girls to the show."
Let me introduce Mariia!
I want them to know me better.
How cute!
Mariia has disappeared!
- Where's she gone?
- To another world.
Mariia has incorporated a message for the two into her magic.
- Do you have time?
- Yes!
Tear it up.
All right.
Thank you.
She's so cute.
"Thank you."
Thank you, everyone!
Mariia, you've done a great job.
Thank you for the message.
We don't know what to say.
I'm so happy.
She is very happy.
I see.
Three girls from different countries with different languages...
it's now been eight months since they met.
"39 days to graduation."
"They'll soon be junior high students."
We'll go to different schools.
We want to have fun together
as much as possible while we can.
I want to thank her
for being my friend for one year.
I want her to remember me.
I've never had a friend like her before.
We can communicate not just with words,
but also with gestures or eye contact.
I've learned there's something
words alone cannot convey.
"Hoping for the day when she can return to Ukraine..."
I'm getting smaller each day,
but you're growing up each time I see you.
Keep going in Japan until the war ends.
"If you met your former self just after
coming to Japan, what would you tell her?"
"Don't be shy
and have confidence in yourself."
"Meet a lot of people and make friends."