Sugihara Chiune: A Japanese Holocaust Rescuer

Fig. The Sugihara trajectory

With this blogpost, I will begin a series of  discussions of Sugihara Chiune (1900-1986), a Japanese diplomat. 

In the morning of August 18,1940, Sugihara observed hundreds of people surrounding his Kaunas consulate. They looked exhausted. They were the Jewish refugees from Poland as well as from Lithuania who were facing an existential threat by the Nazis, asking for transit visas to Japan.

He defied norms and bureaucratic constraints to save thousands of lives during one of history's darkest periods. Born on January 1, 1900, in Japan, Sugihara's journey from a young man in a traditional Japanese family to an international symbol of humanity is a testament to his courage, moral integrity, and unwavering commitment to doing what he believed was right. 

In other blog posts, I will show that more than courage was necessary to implement the remarkable achievement.

Fig. Sugihara Chiune

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

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Sugihara_b.jpg

In the 1980’s I often went to America to attend technical conferences. In one of those occasions, my flight to Tokyo was the next day after the conference was over. In order to kill my time, I went to a nearby little library where I saw a book with title “The Sugihara Story”. Since then this name never left my head.

Diplomatic Path and Humanitarian Compassion

Fig. The Sugihara trajectory illustrates Sugihara’s trajectory as a diplomat. His journey into diplomacy began in 1919 when he joined the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over the years, he was stationed in various countries, including Manchuria, where he encountered the brutal reality of Japanese soldiers mistreating Chinese civilians. Appalled by these actions, Sugihara resigned from his position, driven by a profound sense of empathy for those who suffered. This incident marked the first glimpse of his extraordinary capacity for empathy and compassion, which would later define his legacy.

Because of his achievement in Harbin in addition to his skill of the Russian language, he now became one of the highly desired diplomats in the ministry. Upon his return to Tokyo, he learned that his next assignment would be in Moscow. Soviet Russia, however, issued Persona non Grata. Sugihara’s achievements in Harbin were dangerous for Soviet Russia. He was too good. I will describe why the Soviet Russia regarded him dangerous in another blog post.

In 1939, Sugihara was appointed as the Japanese Vice Consul in Kaunas, Lithuania. Little did he know that this seemingly ordinary diplomatic assignment would transform him into a beacon of hope for thousands. This indeed was a bifurcation point of his life. With World War II escalating and Nazi forces advancing, Jewish refugees desperate to escape persecution sought refuge in any corner of the world that would accept them. Sugihara found himself in the midst of this human crisis, facing a moral dilemma that would test his principles to the core.

Fig. Refugees in Lithuania. This is a schematic picture. Interested reader can visit the following for the real image at NPO Chiune Sugihara. Visas for Life site :

http://www.chiune-sugihara.jp/jp/aboutchiune/photog_02_004.html

The Miracle of Visas

In defiance of official instructions from Tokyo, Sugihara took it upon himself to issue 2139 transit visas [2] -[5] to Jewish refugees, allowing them to travel through Japan to safe places. Since each visa was valid for its family members, it is estimated that 6000 people were saved. Sugihara's audacious decision to go against protocol and offer aid to the persecuted was not merely an act of defiance; it was a courageous stand against injustice.

Fig. Visa Sugihara Issued. This is a schematic picture. Interested reader can visit the following for the real image at wikimedia:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transit_visa.jpg

Day and night, Sugihara tirelessly wrote visas, driven by his conviction that helping those in need was a responsibility he could not shirk. His right hand started aching such that his wife had give him a massage [6].  He didn't eat lunch and his face started sinking. Despite the imminent threat of consequences from the Nazis, Soviet threat and Japanese authorities, Sugihara chose humanity over bureaucracy.

He had several outstanding capabilities to solve complex problems in a short period of time. I will describe them in my other blogposts.

Legacy of Selflessness

 Sugihara's actions were not solely rooted in empathy but also in a deep moral clarity. He once said, "I did nothing special. I did what is right." This sentiment encapsulates his humility and his belief in the fundamental duty of every human being to stand up for the vulnerable, regardless of the personal cost.

After the war, he was forced to retire. In 1985, however, Sugihara was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. This title is bestowed upon non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Sugihara's selfless actions echoed the deeds of Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg, reminding the world that even in times of darkness, there are individuals who shine as beacons of hope.

Conclusion

Sugihara's story transcends national borders, cultures, and languages. He was not just a diplomat; he was a humanitarian who acted with extraordinary ability to solve complex problems and courage to alleviate human suffering. His legacy serves as a timeless reminder that a single individual, driven by compassion and guided by a sense of justice, can make an indelible mark on history. It would be difficult to find an incident in the human history where a single individual saved 6000 lives. Sugihara's life teaches us that even when faced with overwhelming challenges, our actions have the power to change lives, inspire generations, and remind us of the inherent goodness that exists within humanity. I will explore details of his achievements in other blog posts.

[1] Youtube site:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Chiune+Sugihara+Doc.+1

[2] Altman, I., “The Soviet Union and the Transit of Jewish Refugees, 1939–1941”, in Sugihara Chiune and the Soviet Union: New Documents, New Perspectives, Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University, 2022

[3] Wolff, D., “Phoney War, Phoney Peace: Sugihara’s Shifting Eurasian Context”, in Sugihara Chiune and the Soviet Union: New Documents, New Perspectives, Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University, 2022

[4] Ishigo-oka, K., “Sugihara Chiune and Stalin” , Gogatshu Shobo, Tokyo, 2022.

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

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