Fuminori Tsuchiko, 76 anni, giapponese trasferitosi a Kharkiv per sostenere la gente del posto

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians were deeply moved by the story of Japanese volunteer Fuminori Tsuchiko, who moved to Kharkiv and opened “FuMi Caffe” offering free meals for locals. The café served up to 1,000 people daily, primarily the elderly.

# How Fuminori Tsuchiko Became a Volunteer

In early 2022, 73-year-old Japanese national Fuminori Tsuchiko was traveling through Europe. Just before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he visited Kyiv. When the war began, he was in Warsaw, but by April, he had returned to Ukraine to assist locals.

Initially, he volunteered in hospitals in Kyiv, but in early summer 2022, he moved to Kharkiv. Living in the “Heroiv Pratsi” metro station, where locals sought shelter from shelling, Tsuchiko started purchasing and distributing food to Kharkiv residents.

Using donations, he eventually decided to open “FuMi Caffe,” which provided free meals. To fund this initiative, he sold his house in Tokyo. He also collected donations in Kharkiv’s underground crossings. For his volunteer efforts, Tsuchiko received the “National Legend of Ukraine” award in 2023.

# Where Fuminori Tsuchiko Is Now and What He Does

Despite ongoing shelling, Tsuchiko remains in Kharkiv, continuing his volunteer work. He regularly purchases food using donations and distributes it to Kharkiv residents. Recently, he bought 200 kg of pasta, cereals, over 100 kg of vegetables, and biscuits, enough to serve 1,000 people.

In addition, Tsuchiko has also opened a children’s library in Kharkiv. He collects donations not only for food but also for books, encouraging Ukrainians to send children’s publications for the library. The volunteer also organizes children’s birthday celebrations at the library.

# His Future Plans

At 76, Tsuchiko has decided to stay in Ukraine permanently and is learning Ukrainian. While he finds the language challenging due to his age and its unfamiliar pronunciation, he is determined to master it within three years. Tsuchiko believes this is essential for a comfortable life in Ukraine. He expresses deep affection for Kharkiv residents and vows to continue helping them.

Tsuchiko earlier faced rumors about plans to return to Japan and close his café due to a dispute with his foundation’s director. However, the conflict seems resolved as no further public allegations have been made.

**Sources:** Instagram posts by Fuminori Tsuchiko, materials from Hromadske and TSN. For urgent updates on Russia’s war against Ukraine, follow RBC-Ukraine’s Telegram channel.

Source: [https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/prodav-budinok-zaradi-ukrayintsiv-k-zhive-1727861781.html](https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/prodav-budinok-zaradi-ukrayintsiv-k-zhive-1727861781.html)

What a guy, I hope he’s on Japanese social media to raise funds. Japanese people are good friends to Ukraine for the most part and I bet his countrymen would be proud of his story.

I so enjoy getting updates on Mr Tsuchiko. He has been such a good friend to Ukraine, Kharkiv and its residents.