First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in Ukraine’s National Day at EXPO 2025, held in Osaka.
The event was attended by over 500 guests, including representatives of the Japanese government, delegations from countries participating in EXPO, business associations, NGOs, and the diplomatic corps.
“Today, on our National Day at EXPO, we – the Ukrainian team – wish to dedicate this occasion to gratitude. Our deep gratitude to Japan for the opportunity to be represented here. And our gratitude to Japan and to every country helping us to defend ourselves against the aggressor,” Olena Zelenska emphasized.
The event also featured the premiere of the “Ode of Gratitude” – a musical composition created especially for Ukraine’s National Day in collaboration with the band Hyphen Dash and the creative agency Bickerstaff.734. It was accompanied by a music video that expressed Ukraine’s appreciation to the world for its support.
The First Lady also visited the national pavilions of Japan and Ukraine. The Ukrainian exhibits are presented under the title Not For Sale. It is a store where you can see 18 items that symbolize values: freedom, dignity, resilience. Instead of the usual prices, there are videos from Ukraine showing the price Ukrainians are paying for the right to education, healthcare, and freedom of choice while defending themselves against Russian aggression.
“Our values are under constant attack from fake narratives and manipulation – and even in everyday internet discussions, you can personally feel how these values are being weakened, distorted, or devalued. Russia manipulates emotions, floods the public space with propaganda, and has even turned culture into a tool of aggression,” the First Lady noted.
Next to the main pavilion is a Values-Driven Economy zone, featuring artifacts from Ukrainian companies that continue to operate despite the war, including helmets from energy workers and fuel products from oil producers.
The Ukrainian pavilion also includes a special installation titled Imported Goods. These exhibits are dedicated to Ukraine's friends around the world – cultural figures and activists from Japan, the UK, Germany, and Canada who regularly demonstrate their solidarity with Ukrainians.