He spent nearly 20 years in the Yakuza. Ten years in prison. Then he came to Ukraine — and tattooed the Ukrainian trident on his neck.
Imagine this: a Japanese man who doesn’t speak Ukrainian arrives in a country at war and eventually goes to the front. A sniper with the callsign “Harusan.” Behind him are almost two decades in the Japanese underworld and ten years behind bars. On his neck is a Ukrainian trident.
“I’m 50. I joined the Yakuza when I was 16. My father was also a member. I was an ordinary bodyguard for a boss — not at the top, but not an errand boy either. I left when I was 35. And yes, I still have both little fingers. The tradition of cutting off a finger joint is already outdated.”
Then came ten years in prison. “I didn’t do anything terrible. But I was imprisoned with terrible people. I looked at them and understood what kind of person I never wanted to become.”
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he decided to come. Harusan arrived on April 1, 2022. He spoke no Ukrainian and had no military experience. “I didn’t know the language. But I looked at those horrors and realized that the language barrier was a small thing.”
In Ukraine, he became a sniper. He served in the Zhytomyr region, fought near Lysychansk and on the Zaporizhzhia front. He later joined the Georgian National Legion. Communication with his brothers-in-arms was often reduced to gestures and a translator on his phone. Along the way, he learned a few essential words and phrases.
In the summer of 2023, Harusan tattooed the Ukrainian trident on his neck. “It symbolizes my determination. If necessary, to give my life for Ukraine.”
When asked why a Japanese man would risk his life in a war thousands of kilometers from home, his answer is simple: “Russia attacked not only Ukraine. It has harmed Moldova and Georgia. If Ukraine loses, there will be even more wars. This also concerns Japan’s future.”
There is another reason. He calls it redemption. “Redemption for my sins is in my heart. But the most important thing is to reduce the number of victims — especially among children.”
He doesn’t complain about being far from Japan or about loneliness. He simply wants to remain in Ukraine until victory.
And his message to Ukrainians is just as simple:
“Ukrainians, never lose heart. Never. Until victory.”
A man who spent much of his life in darkness made his choice when it mattered most — and chose to stand with Ukraine.
