Shinsaku Fukayama

Tell us something about you.

My name is Shinsaku Fukayama, but most people call me Samurai Shin. I’m from Osaka, Japan, and I’m the founder of Barista Map Coffee Roasters. I’ve been competing and teaching in the coffee world for many years . I was the first Japanese-Australian Latte Art Champion back in 2018, and later placed 2nd at Coffee Masters in Los Angeles. After spending several years in Melbourne, I came back home to Japan and started my own café and barista school, where we’ve already trained thousands of students. My goal has always been to share the beauty of coffee culture and help baristas grow their skills while having fun. These days, I split my time between roasting coffee, teaching, and developing new projects that connect Japanese culture and coffee — always chasing that perfect balance between craftsmanship and creativity.

What about your hobbies?

I love coffee (of course), traveling, and surfing whenever I can catch a wave!

A day without coffee...?

Every day is coffee.

You’re good at...?

I’m good at snowboarding!

What’s your favourite coffee spot?

St. Ali, in Melbourne, one of the places that really inspired my coffee journey.