Arriving in Lima from Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture in 1973, Muneaki Fukasawa and his wife came upon an opportunity to open a new business in Lima and decided to introduce the art of Japanese cuisine to this distant South American country.
Fukasawa named his Japanese restaurant FUJI, in honor of his hometown close to where the iconic Japanese mountain is located. FUJI opened to much acclaim as residents of Lima welcomed an authentic Japanese restaurant, which soon attracted many Japanese businesspeople, diplomats and tourists.
“Fusion cuisine is getting very popular, but I think, it is important to let the Peruvian public know what real traditional Japanese cuisine is,” Fukasawa explained.
Having nurtured close relationships with the largest Japanese multinationals in the city, FUJI not only counts Japanese businesspeople as its guests, but also local executives and tourists from around the world.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the promotion of Japanese cuisine overseas, Fukasawa, in 2015, received an award from the Japanese government.
And, as an ambassador of the “Cool Japan” project of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Fukasawa continues to promote Japanese cuisine in Peru and other South American countries.
