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Fuminori Tsuchiko (Japanese: 土子 文則; Ukrainian: Фумінорі Цучіко, romanized: Fuminori Tsuchiko; born 11 October 1948) is a Japanese volunteer active in the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine. Arrived in Ukraine following the Russian invasion of the country in 2022, he helped crowd funding from Japan to help Ukrainian volunteers who provide free food in Kharkiv, originally within the Kharkiv Metro and later from FuMi Caffe owned and operated by a director Ukrainian Nataliya Grama and 10 Ukrainian women in the city's Saltivka district. In recognition of his activities, Fuminori has been awarded the distinction of National Legend of Ukraine.

Early life and career

Fuminori Tsuchiko was born on 11 October 1948, in the Nerima ward of Tokyo. After a career in business, he retired at the age of 60. Taking an interest in the topic of World War II and the Holocaust, he travelled to sites in Poland and Ukraine such as Babi Yar. During the prelude to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he evacuated to the Polish city of Warsaw upon the warning of the Japanese government.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

After the beginning of the invasion, Fuminori worked with Polish volunteers in Warsaw to provide support to Ukrainian refugees. A week later, he went to work in the city of Rzeszów, where he was told of the lack of food supplies. Moved by this information, Fuminori returned to Ukraine, at first working in Kyiv before arriving at the Kharkiv Metro's Heroiv Pratsi station in May 2022, where he lived from July 2022. Fuminori at a later point sold his home in Japan, and has expressed his intention to remain in Kharkiv following the conclusion of the Russian invasion.

Primarily with the support of Japanese crowdfunding, Fuminori opened a café, named "FuMi Caffe", on 14 April 2023. The café, located in the heavily shelled Saltivka district of Kharkiv, provides free food and is financially supported through donations by philanthropists and Japanese individuals. Following the opening of the café, Fuminori attracted increased attention from the Ukrainian public, including a large donation from Governor of Kharkiv Oblast Oleh Syniehubov.

On 23 August 2023, Fuminori, alongside seven other individuals, was awarded the title of National Legend of Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, owing to his volunteer work.

References

1. Nahorna, Olena (11 October 2023). "Японець-волонтер Фумінорі з Харкова відзначає день народження (фото, відео)" [Japanese volunteer Fuminori celebrates birthday in Kharkiv (photo, video)]. Obiektyv (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
2. "75-річний японець жив у харківському метро, а тепер допомагає новим знайомим із Салтівки" [75 year-old Japanese man lives in Kharkiv metro, and now helps new acquaintances in Saltivka]. Slobidskyi Krai (in Ukrainian). 7 February 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
3. ^ "How a 75-year-old Japanese volunteer, Fuminori Tsuchiko, lived with Kharkiv residents in the metro for six months and opened a free café in Kharkiv". Ukrainska Pravda. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
4. ^ Chraibi, Christine (6 May 2023). "Elderly Japanese with golden heart opens free cafe in bombed-out Kharkiv". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
5. ^ "The Japanese Cafe Owner Feeding Kharkiv". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
6. Teranishi, Kazuo (24 August 2023). "Japanese who offers free meals in Ukraine gets service award". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 15 October 2023.

• 1948 births
• Living people
• Businesspeople from Tokyo
• Japanese expatriates in Ukraine
• People from Nerima
• Volunteering in Ukraine