During the turmoil of the Meiji Restoration, he became a follower of Shinsaku TAKASUGI and joined the Kiheitai, forming friendships with Takayoshi KIDO, Akiyoshi YAMADA, Kaoru INOUE and Aritomo YAMAGATA, a network that later helped Fujita to succeed as a politically-connected businessman.
維新の動乱期に、高杉晋作に師事して奇兵隊に投じ、木戸孝允、山田顕義、井上馨、山県有朋らと交遊関係を結んだがこの人脈がのちに藤田が政商として活躍する素因となった。