Legendary Japanese diplomat was honored at Lithuanian Embassy in Tokyo
An event called “If you save one life, you save a whole world,” was held at the Lithuanian embassy in Tokyo to honor Chiune Sugihara, Japan’s consul in Lithuania, who issued “visas for life” to Jews fleeing the Holocaust 75 years ago.
“Time cannot erase from our memory the suffering of millions of people, the tragedy of the Holocaust. It is thanks to Chiune Sugihara, recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations, that our future generations will be able to understand that even under the worst circumstances one person, an individual, can achieve so much,” - Lithuanian ambassador to Japan Egidijus Meilūnas said at the event.
The ambassador also quoted the words by Linas Linkevičius, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoken during Diplomat Day: “This year we dedicate a lot of attention to the memory of Chiune Sugihara who worked in Lithuania. His basic modus operandi was to help people. This should be the most important symbol of the diplomat’s profession, and because of that we may and do take pride in our profession.”
Sugihara’s granddaughter, Madoka Sugihara, vice president of the NGO “Visas for Life”, also spoke to the audience.
Guest of honor at the event Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman of Lithuanian Jewish Community, told the audience of diplomats, Japanese politicians, representatives of NGOs, academia and reporters about the authentic history of the Jews of Lithuania and their tragic suffering during the Holocaust.
“Chiune Sugihara is a hero of all humanity, not just Japan and Lithuania,” Kukliansky said in her comprehensive presentation on the commemoration of Sugihara in Lithuania and the lives of Jews he saved.
Embassy’s guests were also shown the documentary “Litvaks. From Vilnius to Jerusalem”, excerpts from the opera “Sempo Sugihara: Cherry Trees of Hope” by Japanese composer Yuki Ando, that was performed in Vilnius last May, and scenes from the Nippon Television Network’s movie “Persona Non Grata: The Chiune Sugihara Story.” The movie was first shown to Lithuanian audiences in Kaunas and Vilnius in October and will premiere in Japan in December.
Shingo Akatsuka, the mayor of the city of Yaotsu, Sugihara’s hometown, who recently visited Lithuania, and Kazunori Nakayama, deputy mayor of the port city of Tsuruga, where Jewish refugees landed in Japan, shared ideas about the commemoration of Chiune Sugihara and continuing Japanese-Lithuanian cooperation.
The event also featured an exhibit of publications about Chiune Sugihara.
