Sugihara Chiune: The Harbin Days

 

Fig. Harbin: The place Sugihara was made.

Source: Google Earth modified by the author

 

Fig.: Harbin in the early 20^th century

This is a schematic picture. The interested reader can visit Russia Beyond site:

https://jp.rbth.com/history/80717-roshia-jin-ga-kensetsu-shita-chuugoku-no-harbin

Sugihara Chiune was a Japanese diplomat who saved 6000 Jewish people from persecution in 1940. 

Fig. Sugihara Chiune. 

This is a schematic picture. The interested reader can visit the following site for real image:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/japans-schindler-a-genuine-hero-tangled-in-a-web-of-myth/

Upon joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sugihara's first assignment was in Harbin, China. Of the places he was assigned in his almost 30 years of service as a diplomat, Harbin days were the longest (18 years) as seen in Fig. The Sugihara Trajectory 1919-1947.

 

Fig. The Sugihara Trajectory 1919-1947

In my view, the Sugihara that we know was built in those Harbin years.

During the period of 1920-1945, city of Harbin, located in northeastern China, experienced significant changes and developments.

International Settlement: Harbin was known for its international character during this period. The city had an international settlement, which was established in the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion in 1901. The settlement was governed by various foreign powers, including Russia, Japan, and China. It attracted a diverse population of immigrants, including Russians, Japanese, Chinese, and people from other European countries.

Russian Influence: Harbin had a strong Russian presence during this time due to its strategic location along the Chinese Eastern Railway, which was built by the Russians. The city became a major transportation hub and a center of trade between China and Russia. The Russian influence was visible in the architecture, cultural institutions, and the daily life of the city.

Architectural Legacy: Harbin boasted a unique architectural landscape influenced by both Russian and Chinese styles. The city's buildings featured a blend of Russian Baroque, Byzantine, and Chinese architectural elements. Prominent structures included the Harbin Railway Station, Saint Sophia Cathedral, and various Russian-style mansions and commercial buildings. These architectural landmarks reflected the city's cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Cultural Exchange: Harbin was a melting pot of different cultures during this period. It served as a meeting point for Russian, Chinese, and Western cultures. The city hosted theaters, opera houses, ballet companies, and art galleries that showcased a diverse range of performances and exhibitions. It was also a center for academic exchange, with universities and research institutions attracting scholars and intellectuals from different parts of the world.

Winter Festival: Harbin became renowned for its annual winter festival, which started in the 1920s. The festival celebrated the city's cold climate and featured impressive ice and snow sculptures, ice lantern shows, and various winter sports. It grew in popularity over the years and became one of the world's largest winter festivals, drawing visitors from both China and abroad.

World War II Impact: Harbin, like the rest of China, was greatly affected by World War II. In 1932, during the early years of the war, the city was occupied by the Japanese forces, leading to significant changes in the city's governance and administration. The occupation had both social and economic consequences for Harbin and its residents.

Overall, during the period of 1920-1945, Harbin was a vibrant city with a mix of Russian, Chinese, and Western influences. It served as a cultural, economic, and transportation hub, attracting a diverse population and fostering a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

It was October 1919 when Sugihara started the Harbin life. He stayed with a Russian family to acquaint with the language. Within four months he already started not only speaking Russian but reading Russian newspapers. Next year Harbin Institute, the language school opened. His first task was to study the Russian language at the school. He started in September 1922 and graduated in March 1925. Because of his outstanding performance, he was asked to teach instead of learning in 1929. The subjects he taught were the Russian grammar and conversation, Russian reading and current topics, Russian politics, Russian economy. Since teaching something demands much preparations, this was a good opportunity for him to acquire deeper knowledge of the subject matter.　Since there were significant number of Russians who fled from the Soviet Russia and Russian Jews, Sugihara had opportunities of not only improve his Russian language skills but learn problems associated with the Jewish people.

In Harbin, Sugihara achieved a notable diplomatic success. He conducted tough negotiations during which he forced Soviet to sell a strategic railroad at 1700 million yen, while the original Soviet offer was 6599 million yen leveraging his detailed knowledge of Russian calculations and identifying flaws in the documents. It should also be noted that the original offer was 1/10 of Japan's national budget around that time which signifies the importance of Sugihara’s contribution.

 In Harbin, Sugihara achieved a notable diplomatic success. He conducted tough negotiations during which he forced Soviet to sell a strategic railroad at 1700 million yen, while the original Soviet offer was 6599 million yen leveraging his detailed knowledge of Russian calculations and identifying flaws in the documents. It should also be noted that the original offer was 1/10 of Japan's national budget around that time which signifies the importance of Sugihara’s contribution.

His activities were highly visible in the early 1930’s by the Russian diplomatic circles. His name appeared in the September 4, 1934 issue of Plavda, the main media of the Soviet Russia of the time. Soviet officials' negative views toward Sugihara developed during his Harbin period were closely related with the Persona non Grata of 1937. [1] This brought him to Finland instead of Moscow and eventually to Lithuania where a rare historical event happened. I will give detailed descriptions of the Lithuania event in other blog posts.

In Sugihara's memoir [2], [3] he writes

"At that time in Japan, the military had already spread its influence and was behaving tyrannically in various places. I was critical of such actions by the military. The shadow of Japan's militarism followed me even in my subsequent assignment in Europe."

During his duty on the railroad deal, he became disgusted with the inhuman behavior of Kanto gun, the Japanese military in Manchuko. Particularly, their treating the Chinese people in a unhuman manner. He began to doubt the Raison d'etre of Manchuko itself. He quit his Manchuko assignment in 1935 and returned to his original Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.

[1]“Sugihara Chiune and the Soviet Union: New Documents, New Perspectives”, Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University, 2022

[2] Watanabe, K., “Ketsudan: Visas for Life,” Taisho Shuppan, Tokyo, Third Printing, 2001

[3] Sugihara, Y., “Visas for 6000 People,” Taisho Shuppan, 2017, Tenth Printing