Japanese knowledge and expertise on how to rebuild after a disaster will be of use to Ukraine when it eventually starts the recovery process from the devastating war with Russia, a group of Ukrainian lawmakers said Wednesday.

Dr. Galyna Mykhailiuk, a lawyer and co-chair of the Japan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship League, described Japan as “a leader in the world” in terms of disaster response — be it natural, war or nuclear-related — that Ukraine can learn from as it plans its own future recovery.

“We are looking forward to an exchange of information and knowledge in this regard,” she said during a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in central Tokyo.

Japan successfully rebuilt its cities, towns and infrastructure following defeat in World War II, as well as in the wake of devastating disasters, such as the 1995 Hanshin earthquake and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region.

The delegation, consisting of members of the Ukrainian parliament, has been in Japan since Oct. 15.

During a conference to discuss Ukraine held jointly by the Group of Seven and the European Union in Berlin on Wednesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged in a video message to increase material assistance and other forms of support that “make use of Japan’s unique knowledge and strengths.”

This includes technology adopted following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 for sorting and recycling debris — which, Kishida said, could be used to repurpose debris in Ukraine.

Kishida’s announcement that Japan would also provide “winter support” in the form of heating systems for displaced people and other forms of cold weather equipment was met with appreciation by the delegation.

Mykhailiuk said 600,000 children had left Ukraine since the start of the conflict on Feb. 24. Around 2,000 Ukrainians have fled to Japan — a far greater intake of displaced people than the country has accepted during any other recent conflict — and Mykhailiuk again thanked Japan for providing a safe haven to Ukrainian women and children, thereby helping to “preserve our Ukrainian future.”

But for Mykhailiuk’s colleague, economist and lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak, further support is necessary for Ukraine’s war and recovery efforts to succeed.

A native of Mariupol, he described the near-total destruction of the once-vibrant city on the Black Sea coast — one of the bloodiest centers of fighting between the two sides, along with other southeastern cities Severodonetsk and now Kherson.

The delegation, he said, had visited various Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Kobe, both of which were devastated by earthquakes and war in the 20th century. Zheleznyak said his aim was for Ukraine to “build back better” once the war is over and to restore cities as beautiful as Japan's.

For now, however, up to 40% of Ukraine’s power infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed due to recent Russian attacks, leaving many Ukrainians to face the bitterly cold winter months without access to adequate heating.

Ukraine will need further humanitarian, financial, and diplomatic support from Japan and its other allies in order to both win the war and protect citizens currently at risk, Zheleznyak said.