“Economization has become a defining feature of Ukraine’s foreign policy. With the advent to power of Volodymyr Zelensky, approaches to the work of Ukrainian diplomacy have been adjusted, with a special emphasis recently placed on finding opportunities for domestic businesses in foreign markets. Therefore, it is not surprising that Ukrainian diplomacy today pays considerable attention to the development of business cooperation with Japan. Ukraine-Japan trade relations indeed have untapped potential1. To improve the situation, Kyiv has been nourishing an idea of creating a free trade area between Ukraine and Japan. With the latter being an important hub at the intersection of strategic trade agreements, this move is expected to foster Ukraine’s integration into global trade flows. Japan, however, is more cautious about launching new free trade areas. At the same time, Japanese observers note that the deep and comprehensive free trade area between Ukraine and the European Union has a positive effect on Ukraine-Japan trade. Moreover, Japan is gradually opening its market to Ukrainian producers on certain trade items.”