Sugihara Chiune: Early Days

 

Fig. Yaotsu

Source : Google Earth modified by the author.

Sugihara Chiune was a Japanese diplomat who saved 6000 Jewish people from the Nazis persecution in WWII. 

Fig. Early Day Sugihara

This is a schematic picture. For a real image, the reader can visit the Livedoor blog:

https://livedoor.blogimg.jp/ukkukk/imgs/7/a/7ade66a9.jpg

Sugihara (back left) takes after his mother (front right).

He was born in Yaotsu, Gifu Prefecture shown in Fig. Yaotsu, on January 1, 1900, just 34 years after the Tokugawa Period came to an end. His early education would have been profoundly influenced by Japan's feudal period, which had spanned 800 years. During this era, values such as duty, honor, dignity, and loyalty to family held great significance.

Academically, Sugihara excelled. Although his father aspired for him to pursue a medical education, Sugihara opted for a different path. He intentionally failed the medical school entrance exam by submitting blank answer sheets. Instead, he pursued his passion for the English language at Waseda University in Tokyo, supporting himself through part-time employment when his father declined financial assistance.

Fig. The Sugihara trajectory

Upon entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sugihara's initial assignment took him to Harbin, China, where he would spend 18 years. It was during his time in Harbin that Sugihara transformed into the person we recognize today. I will delve deeper into his experiences in Harbin in a future blog post. Fig. The Sugihara trajectory depicts his trajectory as a diplomat.