A 75-year-old Japanese man who currently lives in war-hit Kharkiv, Ukraine, has opened a restaurant to provide free meals to residents affected by Russia's invasion of the country.
　Fuminori Tsuchiko recently came back to Japan temporarily and told his supporters in Minami-Soma, about his activities.

　ロシアによる侵攻が続くウクライナのハリコフ市で無料レストランを開き、被災者に食事を提供している現地在住の土子文則さん（７５）が一時帰国し、南相馬市の支援者に活動報告を行なった。

　Hailing from Tokyo, Tsuchiko first volunteered after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Making use of his qualification as a home-care worker, he spent seven months as a volunteer caregiver based in Minami-Soma.

　東京都出身の土子さんが初めてボランティアをしたのは2011年の東日本大震災だった。ヘルパーの資格を生かして7カ月間、南相馬市を拠点に介護ボランティアとして活動した。

　Tsuchiko later moved to Poland to learn more about the Holocaust. Six months after that, in February last year, Russia invaded Ukraine. He went to Kyiv and began sorting supplies at a volunteer center with the belief that "volunteering will become meaningless if it is not continued."

　その後、ナチスドイツのユダヤ人迫害問題を深く知るため、強制収容所のあるポーランドに移住。半年後の昨年２月、ロシアによるウクライナ侵攻が始まった。「ボランティアは続けなければ意味がない」と、ウクライナの首都キーウに渡り、ボランティアセンターでの物資の仕分けを始めた。

　In Kyiv, Tsuchiko witnessed an unexpected sight. Volunteers were selling a portion of the relief supplies gathered from all over the world. In some cases, supplies for only 150 people were left even though there had originally been enough for 500.

　キーウで目にしたのは予想外の光景だった。各国から集まった支援物資を、ボランティアが販売目的のために横流ししている。500人分の物資が150人分しか残らないこともあったという。

　"I thought I must go to the frontlines and hand them over myself," he recalled.
　In March last year, Tsuchiko left for Kharkiv, near the Russian border. To help residents who had lost their homes and were taking shelter in a subway station, he himself took up residence there and served meals to between 150 and 200 evacuees in the station.

　「最前線に行き、自分の手で物資を渡そう」。昨年３月、ロシア国境近くのハリコフへ。家を失い地下鉄駅構内に避難する市民のために、自らも構内に住み込んで150～200人ほどの避難者全員に食事を提供した。

　He opened a restaurant called FuMi Caffe in Kharkiv in April.
　At the restaurant, Tsuchiko encourages people to follow a Japanese-style manner of "standing in line and waiting your turn" and makes sure that not only adults but children are also served.

　今年４月には無料レストラン「ＦｕＭｉ　Ｃａｆｆｅ（フミカフェ）」をハリコフに開いた。「列に並び順番を守る」との日本流のマナーを呼びかけ、子どもたちにも食事が行き渡るよう気を配っている。

　At first, Tsuchiko used his own pension to fund his activities, but he is now able to cover the expenses with donations from his supporters. In recognition of these activities, Tsuchiko received an honorary citizen award from Kharkiv in May.

　活動資金には当初、自身の年金を充てていたが、今は支援者からの寄付でまかなえるようになった。こうした活動が認められ、土子さんは5月にハリコフ市から栄誉市民賞を受けた。

　"I want to keep supporting the children until they grow up to become adults who can take charge of Ukraine's reconstruction," he said.

（　Translated by The Japan News　）

　土子さんは「子どもたちがウクライナ復興を担う大人に成長するまで支援を続けたい」と話している。

　【　２０２３年６月７日付・福島民友新聞掲載　】