Japan Desk Lviv officially launched in Lviv — a municipal Japanese-language service center that will provide personalized support for Japanese companies in Lviv: from consultations on investment and business setup to partner search and full familiarization with the local economic environment.
On July 7, Lviv City Mayor Andriy Sadovyy and Executive Vice President of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Nobutaka Maekawa signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Lviv City Council and JETRO. This memorandum marks the official launch of the Japan Desk Lviv — a support service for Japanese businesses in the city.
“During the war, we host many foreign delegations in Lviv, but most of them are political. This Japanese delegation is fundamentally different: businesspeople representing well-known, powerful companies have come to Lviv to establish cooperation with Ukraine today. They don’t want to wait until the war is over, like most companies around the world. This is extremely important, because in order to have victories on the frontlines, we need money, and for that, the economy must work. I’m very happy that our efforts to attract Japanese investment to Ukraine are showing real results, and today we’re opening this business office in Lviv,” — said Andriy Sadovyy, Lviv City Mayor.
The memorandum was signed as part of a visit to Lviv by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, JETRO, and ten Japanese companies. This is the first business mission of such scale from Japan to Lviv during the war, marking a new stage in Japan–Ukraine economic cooperation.
“The Japanese government and private sector have long been interested in cooperation with Ukraine, but until now it was mainly focused on Kyiv. The capital is very promising for economic and political partnerships, but Ukraine is a large country, and we are also interested in the western region to expand our range of opportunities. Lviv is geographically further from the frontlines, making it safer. We know that many European partners are developing projects in Lviv and the region, and we’re interested in this as well. We are truly inspired by the readiness and openness of the city government for future cooperation. The steps taken, the signing of the memorandum, and the launch of Japan Desk Lviv are important signals for Japanese business. Thank you for the opportunity to be in Lviv today and to get acquainted with your city’s business community, companies, and projects, so that Japanese–Ukrainian business cooperation can start developing right now,” — said Nobutaka Maekawa, Executive Vice President of JETRO.
The service will operate under the Investment and Projects Office of the Lviv City Council.
“This is the first service in Ukraine focused specifically on cooperation with Japanese business. The main goal of Japan Desk Lviv is to provide Japanese companies with easy access to all city services, relevant contacts, and business opportunities — to make entering the Ukrainian market clear and effective. A special website, email, and phone number have been created for Japanese businesses seeking information or consultations about doing business in Ukraine, the environment, and local projects. The service will also have a dedicated coordinator who speaks Japanese, enabling us to offer full support — from initial consultations to organizing meetings with potential partners and site visits,” — said Andriy Pavliv, Head of the Investment and Projects Office of the Lviv City Council.
As part of the Japan Desk Lviv launch, the city also presented the Program to Promote Japanese Investment in Lviv, which includes the following areas:
- Economy and business: investor support, business forums, participation in trade fairs
- Culture and education: Japan Days in Lviv, cultural exchanges, theater projects, book exchanges
- Tourism: development of specialized tours, translation of services, launching the Lviv.Travel website in Japanese
- Information promotion: campaigns in Japanese media, cooperation with bloggers and the Japanese diaspora
The program has a strategic goal — to make Lviv the first and main entry point for Japanese investment in Ukraine, to contribute to recovery, innovation, and the formation of a positive international image of Lviv and Ukraine as a whole.
The launch of Japan Desk Lviv became possible thanks to the financial support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
