10 Minutes with Samurai Shin: On Building a Coffee Career Without a Roadmap

Latte Art Champion, barista school founder, roaster, and now consultant—Shinsaku “Samurai Shin” Fukayama has never been content to stop at one thing.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of Shinsaku Fukayama

Most people in coffee know the name Samurai Shin. Fewer know the full story behind it. Shinsaku Fukayama was a professional snowboarder before a serious injury ended his career at 23. He spent years working at his parents’ restaurant before a chance encounter with coffee sent him to Melbourne in 2013 with no English, no barista experience, and no guarantee of anything. 

What followed was one of the more remarkable trajectories in the specialty coffee world: Two years into his career, he was a World Latte Art Competitor. He went on to become the first Japanese barista to win the Australian Latte Art Championship, placed 4th at the World Coffee Events in Brazil, and 2nd at Coffee Masters in Los Angeles. 

Back in Osaka since 2020, Shin now runs Barista Map Coffee Roasters, the roastery and coffee stand BAISEN, the rice balls and coffee concept KOME MAME, a Japanese ceramic vessel brand, and a barista school with around 6,000 students. And he is, by his own account, just getting started.

We caught up with Shin during his Indonesia tour—a two-week run of collaborations, masterclasses, and pop-ups—to talk about what keeps him going, what aspiring baristas get wrong, and what wabi-sabi has to do with all of it.

Barista Magazine: You went from professional snowboarder to dishwasher to World Latte Art Champion, and you did it in a country where you didn’t speak the language and had no barista experience. What kept you going in those early days when everything was working against you?

Shin: The driving force was passion for coffee and a relentless desire to improve. Despite the language barrier and lack of experience, I focused on learning everything I could. Each small success—making a decent cup, connecting with a customer—fueled the next step. I also drew on what snowboarding had taught me: perseverance and adaptability. Those aren’t things you learn in a classroom. They’re things you learn when you fall and have to figure out how to get back up.

You became the first Japanese person to win the Australian Latte Art Championship and went on to place 4th at the World Coffee Events and 2nd at Coffee Masters. What did competing at that level teach you that you couldn’t have learned any other way?

Competition taught me resilience and self-discipline in ways nothing else could. The pressure forced me to refine my technique and think critically about every aspect of my craft. And I learned to embrace failure as a stepping stone rather than a setback. That shift in perspective changed everything. 

The camaraderie among competitors also showed me how important community is in this industry. Something I carry into everything I do now. And the motivation hasn’t gone away—I placed 5th at the Japan Roasting Championship in 2025. I am still going. My next goal is to become a world champion in roasting.

You now run Barista Map Coffee Roasters, BAISEN, KOME MAME, a vessel brand, and a barista school with around 6,000 students. How do you think about building something in coffee that goes beyond the bar?

Building something substantial in coffee means creating a holistic experience, one that extends beyond serving drinks. It means nurturing community, fostering education, and continuing to innovate. My vision across all of these ventures is to blend quality with accessibility: ensuring that every touchpoint reflects a commitment to excellence and to cultural exchange. The bar is where it starts, but it is never where it ends.

6,000 students is a significant number. What do you think most aspiring baristas misunderstand about what it actually takes to build a career in this industry?

Many aspiring baristas underestimate the importance of foundational skills and continuous learning. They think being a barista is about making coffee. It is about understanding the entire process—from sourcing to the moment the cup reaches a customer. Building a real career demands persistence, passion, and the willingness to learn from every experience, including the difficult ones. The craft rewards the people who stay curious for a long time.

You’re currently in Indonesia for a tour that includes a collaboration with World Barista Champion Mikael Jasin, masterclasses, and the expansion of KOME MAME. What does it mean to you to take Japanese coffee culture into Southeast Asia?

It is a unique opportunity to share my heritage while also learning from the rich coffee traditions of the region. The goal is to blend techniques and flavours to create something new. But I also want to share wabi-sabi: the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. I think it has something important to say to the coffee world, where we can sometimes be too focused on perfection and not enough on presence.

You’ve collaborated with the Ritz-Carlton, Mercedes Benz, and Panasonic, among others. For a barista who wants to expand their professional reach beyond the café, where do you tell them to start?

Start by building a strong personal brand. Hone your craft, network, and seek opportunities outside the café — consulting, workshops, collaborations. Emphasize what is unique about your perspective and your story. The coffee industry is full of talented people. What sets you apart is not just your technique but your voice. Find it and use it.

You went from not having tasted coffee until your mid-twenties to shaping how thousands of people understand and experience it. If you could give one piece of advice to someone standing where you stood in 2013, what would it be?

Stay curious and open-minded. Embrace every opportunity to learn, whether through formal education or hands-on experience. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek mentorship. Your journey will be unique, and every step will contribute to your growth. And keep going. Keep growing. Keep building your passion. Grit is not optional—it is the whole thing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work.

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