Today, I write about “Visas for Life “.
August 1939, Japanese consul Sugihara Chiune arrived in Kaunas,Lithuania,to open a consular service.
However,scarcely had he settled down in his new post when things began to change greatly.
Hitler’s invasion of Poland on September 1,1939.
The invasion caused a wave of Jewish refugees to stream into Lithuania
On the morning of July 17,1940, he looked outside and saw many people around his house.
Who are they? asked his wife, Yukiko.
People from Poland.
They escaped from the Nazis and came to Lithuania, he answered.
They said to Sugihara, Please give us visas for Japan.
If we stay here, the Nazis will kill all of us.
Sugihara sent atelegram to the Foreign Ministry, he asked foy permission to issue visas, but permission was refused.
Sugihara decided to help them. He knew the risks.
He announced to the crowd around his house, You will all get your visas!
For the next 30 days, Sugihara wrote visas day and night.
August 27, he received a telegram from the Ministry, Close the office now and go to Berlin.
September 4 , Sugihara and his family got on a train for Berlin.
Sugihara said, I cannot write and more, Forgive me, I will pray for your safety.
Sugihara issued 2,139 visas to Jewish people in Lithuania.
His actions saved more than 6,000 lives in total.
The war ended in 1945,
Upon his return to Japan in 1946 Sugihara was dismissed from the Japanese Foreign Service.
He worked as a trader.
Angust 1968, he received a phone call from the Israeli Embassy.
Israeli Embassy met Sugihara and took out an old piece of paper, It was Sugihara’s visa.
The next year Sugihara visited Israel and was greeted by the Israeli government.
1985, Sugihara was granted the honor of the Righteous Among the Nations by the government of Israel.
July 31, 1986, Sugihara died at a hospital in Kamakura.
In spite of the publicity given him in Israel and other nations, he remained virtually unknown in Japan.
1994, 66th Academy Awards,
“Schindler’s List” dominated the winning seven Oscars out of its 12 nominations, including Best Picture.
Many people in Japan praised Schindler,
Afterward, they knew Sugihara for the first time.
Today he is considered a hero in Japan.
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