Japanese diplomat saved thousands of Jewish lives
Several weeks ago, I received an invitation to participate in a virtual commemoration ceremony being hosted by the Embassy of Japan in Ottawa, dedicated to the life of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat credited with saving thousands of Jewish lives during the Holocaust.
Previously unaware of Sugihara, I began to research his legacy and I was amazed to find he is often called the “Japanese Schindler” as a result of his heroism and parallels between his story and the rescue efforts of German industrialist Oskar Schindler.
As I delved deeper into Sugihara’s life, I couldn’t help but wonder why his voice was silent for so many years after the war and how many other “Schindlers” remain hidden in the shadows of history.
In 1939, at the onset of the Second World War, longtime Japanese diplomat Sugihara found himself in Kaunas, Lithuania, tasked with intelligence gathering for the Japanese military.
As the war raged on, Sugihara became increasingly troubled by the dire situation facing Jewish refugees fleeing from the Nazis. Exit visas were necessary to travel safely, but it was difficult to find countries willing to issue them. Sugihara realized that this was where he would be able to make a difference. Sensing the imminent threat after the Soviet invasion of 1940, he began working with the Polish underground.
Sugihara started issuing 10-day visas for transit through Japan to Jewish refugees, many of whom did not qualify under Japan’s strict guidelines. Disregarding direct orders from foreign ministry officials in Tokyo, Sugihara had issued thousands of exit visas by the time he left Lithuania less than a year later. While the exact number is not known, estimates are that his actions saved more than 6,000 Jewish lives.
According to witnesses, he was still writing visas as the embassy was closing and he was being shipped out of the country.
In a final act of compassion, Sugihara was seen throwing blank sheets of paper with only the consulate seal and his signature into a crowd of desperate refugees as his train pulled out of the Kaunas railway station.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, like many heroes, he rarely spoke of his wartime activities and did not believe he deserved special credit.
As the keepers of history, it’s up to all of us to recognize the actions taken by
Sugihara and other heroes, to celebrate their extraordinary moral courage when millions stood by in silence.
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in Israel, leads the way in these recognition efforts, bestowing the title “Righteous among the Nations” on non-Jews who helped save Jewish people during the Holocaust. Sugihara was honoured with this title in 1984 and this recognition led to increased public interest and awareness in Japan.
In the year 2000, on what would have been Sugihara’s 100th birthday, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dedicated a plaque at the Diplomatic Record Office in his honour and a memorial hall has since been erected in his home town of Yaotsu.
Today, Sugihara is recognized and lauded as a hero in Japan and around the world. Lithuania has even declared that this year, 2020, is “The Year of Chiune Sugihara.” It has been estimated that as many as 100,000 people alive today are the descendants of the recipients of Sugihara visas.
As we continue to stress the critical importance of Holocaust education within our schools, it’s our duty to ensure that young people know the name of heroic figures like Sugihara.
His story, and the stories of almost 30,000 other “Righteous among the Nations” honourees, represent the possibility of moral choices in the face of overwhelming obstacles and the power of human compassion to transcend racial, religious, and political divides. These lessons are more pertinent today than ever.
The Embassy of Japan in Canada hosts a virtual celebration, “Visas for Life,” honouring Chiune Sugihara, Tuesday to Saturday, at visasforlife.info.
It has been estimated that as many as 100,000 people alive today are the descendants of the recipients of Chiune Sugihara visas