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.
Moved by this information, Fuminori returned to Ukraine,[4] at first working in Kyiv before arriving at the Kharkiv Metro's Heroiv Pratsi station in May 2022, where he lived from July 2022.
The café, located in the heavily shelled Saltivka district of Kharkiv,[3] provides free food and is financially supported through donations by philanthropists and Japanese individuals.
[4] 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.
[3] 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.