The results of a sociological survey conducted in March 2026 by the sociological company Active Group together with the information and analytical center Experts Club demonstrate a high and at the same time growing level of positive attitude of Ukrainians towards Japan. The share of positive evaluations is 71.8%, which exceeds the indicator of August 2025 (68.7%). At the same time, the negative attitude remains minimal — 2.8% against 2.7% previously.
The structure of the answers shows a deep positive perception of this country. In particular, 32.9% of respondents rate their attitude as "completely positive", another 38.9% - as "mostly positive". This combination of indicators forms one of the highest percentages of positive attitudes among all the studied countries.
At the same time, 24.2% of respondents take a neutral position, which indicates a certain distance in perception — probably due to limited direct contact or informational presence of Japan in the Ukrainian media space. Negative ratings remain low, with 1.9% "mostly negative" and 0.9% "completely negative." Another 1.2% of respondents could not decide.
The dynamics of changes indicate a gradual strengthening of the positive image of Japan in Ukraine. The increase in the share of positive responses occurred without a significant increase in the negative, which indicates a stable expansion of positive perception, and not a redistribution of ratings between categories.
"For Ukrainians, Japan is an example of a country with a high level of trust and a stable positive image. We see that even without sharp informational reasons, its perception is gradually improving. This means that long-term reputation and a consistent policy of cooperation work much more effectively than short-term informational effects," said Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
In general, the results of the study confirm that Japan is among the countries with the most positive perception among Ukrainians. At the same time, the growth of positive assessments against the background of a consistently low level of negativity indicates the formation of a long-term and stable image of the country as a reliable partner.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center on the basis of data from the State Customs Service, Japan ranks 26th in terms of the total volume of trade in goods with Ukraine with an indicator of $1.12 billion. At the same time, imports from Japan almost completely dominate bilateral trade trade, which forms a significant negative balance for Ukraine at the level of more than $1.05 billion.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center, the video can be viewed on the agency's YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the website of the Experts analytical center Club.
