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In Pics: 75-year-old Japanese man opens free café with Ukrainian friend in Kharkiv, says ‘wanted to do anything to help'

Apr 28, 2023 11:09 PM IST

A 75-year-old Japanese national has opened a free café in Ukraine's Kharkiv in bid to do anything possible to help the country amid the Russian invasion.

A 75-year-old Japanese national, Fuminori Tsuchiko, opened a free café in Ukraine's Kharkiv after arriving in the city last year as he wanted to do anything he could to help people following Russia's invasion.

Fuminori Tsuchiko, 75-year-old humanitarian volunteer from Japan, looks through a window of his cafe, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine April 24. (REUTERS)
Fuminori Tsuchiko, 75-year-old humanitarian volunteer from Japan, looks through a window of his cafe, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine April 24. (REUTERS)

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Moved by the plight of residents forced by Russian shelling to shelter in subway stations, Tsuchiko decided to stay, reported Reuters.

For months he lived in a metro station and worked as a volunteer distributing food in the subway.

Fuminori Tsuchiko treats a girl with cookies outside of his cafe. (REUTERS)
Fuminori Tsuchiko treats a girl with cookies outside of his cafe. (REUTERS)

Tsuchiko said he along with a Ukrainian friend he met in the metro station opened a free café in Kharkiv's Saltivka with the help of donations made by Japanese people via social media.

"June, July, August, September, October, November, December - (for) seven months I stayed in the metro, underground, sleeping or eating, and together (with) many, many Ukrainian people," Tsuchiko said.

Fuminori Tsuchiko passes free food to people at his cafe. (REUTERS)
Fuminori Tsuchiko passes free food to people at his cafe. (REUTERS)

'FuMi Caffe' serves about 500 people a day, he said. Tsuchiko said he had been visiting Ukraine as a tourist in February 2022, but left the country after the Japanese embassy warned of Russian invasion. He went to the Polish capital Warsaw only to return two months later.

One visitor to the cafe, Anna Tovstopyatova, said she had come to donate.

"It's great that there are so sincere people with an open heart and soul, who sacrifice their life and time to help and give hope," said Tovstopyatova.

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