Kyoto University in Japan is well known throughout the world for its brilliant tradition – students come to the graduation ceremony not in the usual gowns, but invent the most creative outfits for themselves, turning a strict official ceremony into a real cosplay festival.

Bored Panda has already made a selection of the most interesting costumes from Kyoto University graduates. There were characters from anime and literature, fairy tale princesses and superheroes… However, new times require new superheroes, and this year the graduation ceremony turned out to be different from the previous ones…

Kyoto University student recently attended graduation ceremony dressed like Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky

Image credits: LohoG29i

One of the students, Twitter user @LohoG29i, a fourth-year student from the Faculty of Comprehensive Human Studies, came to the ceremony in khaki military trousers, a dark green sweatshirt with the emblem of Ukraine – in the image that is now known to the whole world, depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Image credits: mrjeffu

As our hero said in an interview with the local press, about three months ago, when he began to grow a beard, someone said that he looks like the president of Ukraine. So the student decided to appear at the graduation ceremony in the image of 2022 Time Person of the Year. And this appearance was probably the most memorable moment of the ceremony in recent years – that’s for sure.

He says wanted to dress up as Zelensky because of the president’s reputation as the manliest of men. His friends humorously interrupt to reveal that he struggled for 4 years before finally passing Kyoto University’s notoriously difficult entry exam. pic.twitter.com/rmMUB5olEk

— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) March 25, 2023

The student turned the traditional university’s cosplay festival into a true manifestation of support towards Ukraine

However, one should not assume that this performance was simply comical. The guy came out with a poster quoting the famous speech of Volodymyr Zelensky in the US Congress, as well as with the national slogan: “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes!” Considering that the ceremony was traditionally covered by a lot of media, it turned out to be a true powerful action in support of Ukraine.

Image credits: mrjeffu

“I’ve seen a lot of really positive comments on social media about it,” says David Hajime Kornhauser, director on global communications of Kyoto University, with whom Bored Panda got in touch for an interview. “So I think maybe even he has been a little bit surprised at how much notoriety he has aroused as a result of this. Probably judging by his comments and so on, it went a lot better than he expected.”

Image credits: mrjeffu

“The history of cosplay at the graduation ceremony has its roots in the seventies, when the university often became the scene of various political and social protests. To a certain extent, there’s always something political, some kind of statement going on something about the national government or about the ruling party or whatever. And there’s always some students who are making political statements, and maybe even their nationally oriented political statements, but I think probably this is one of the more pointed examples that we’ve seen in recent years. Definitely,” David continues.

Image credits: GO3287

Kyoto University has been supporting Ukraine since the first weeks of Russian invasion, offering students a temporary hosting program

“Kyoto University issued a statement of support for Ukrainian students back in the spring of last year. The university offered a temporary hosting program to students from its partner universities in Ukraine, and ensure that they are provided with study and research facilities. Now Ukrainians study at our university, so it is not surprising that the theme of support for Ukraine resonated in the hearts of Japanese students,” Mr. Kornhauser summarizes.

Image credits: LohoG29i

Interestingly, the performance of the guy from Kyoto took place just a few days after the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Kyiv, where he discussed with Zelensky further steps in cooperation between Ukraine and Japan. It was not for nothing that our hero also had a traditional rice serving spoon shamoji in his hands – after all, Kishida gifted Zelensky exactly the same one during their personal meeting.

Image credits: LohoG29i

According to the author of this performance, giving the leader of a country at war a rice serving spoon isn’t that appropriate, but if the Ukrainians liked the gift, then that’s the main thing. “We stand for Ukraine! Justice will prevail in the end, I hope so. Glory to Ukraine!” the student tweeted after the ceremony.

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Netizens from Ukraine expressed their deep gratitude to the Japanese student, and so did the Ukrainian ambassador in Japan

However, judging by the numerous comments, Ukrainian Twitter users liked this manifestation a lot. The Japanese student was repeatedly thanked for supporting Ukraine, and someone even sneered that Russian propaganda would now tell for sure that Zelensky’s double had appeared in Japan. The Ukrainian ambassador to Japan, Sergey Korsunsky, did not stand aside, expressing his gratitude as well.

Image credits: Sergiy Korsunsky

Image credits: Pulpfiction3

Image credits: ADioumaev

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Image credits: DLegeny

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Image credits: Ekleziast

Image credits: CarPropaganda

It remains to be hoped that someday the hero of our today’s story will come to already peaceful Ukraine and, perhaps, as an honored guest, will take part in a graduation ceremony at one of the local universities. Meanwhile, we’re looking forward to your comments on this story, so please feel free to write them below this post.

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