Webinar - Ch. Sugihara and Lithuania (in Japanese)
Webinar: Chiune Sugihara and Lithuania will be held on July 9, 2020 at 3pm - 4:30pm, Tokyo time. Agenda: - Introduction by Ambassador of Lithuania in Japan Gediminas Varvuolis - Presentation "Chiune Sugihara and Lithuania" by dr. Aurelijus Zykas (Kaunas) - Q&A, discussion Please register : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczze5AaUr3RSBmw0wjlYvdAGBW49fRJMvFGW6pAspQwG6dHw/viewform?usp=sf_link and join the webinar on July 9: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81213971551. Zoom Meeting ID: 812 1397 1551.
Chiune Sugihara (1900-1986) who lived in Kaunas (Lithuania) during 1939-1940, was one of the most important personalities acting as a bridge between Japan and Lithuania. His deed of saving thousands of Jewish refugees from Poland became a world-famous story inspiring numerous movies, dramas, musical pieces, and performances.
Usually, this story is told in the discourses of humanism, tolerance, and peace. However, in our lecture, we discuss the story of Sugihara as an example of inspiration for two geographically remote countries, Japan and Lithuania, for wider cooperation and friendship. Thanks to Sugihara's story, many fascinating international exchange projects at various levels (such a grass-root, municipality, or business) have been implemented. The lecture presents the most prominent examples among them.
Dr. Aurelijus Zykas, is President of the Kaunas-Japan Friendship Association and Associate Professor at university. He is conducting research on international exchange and relationships between Japan and Lithuania and tries to popularize this knowledge through documentary movies, exhibitions, and articles. Also, he introduces Japan and Japanese culture to Lithuanian society through his interviews and books. He can speak Japanese fluently and has created the first comprehensive Japanese-Lithuanian dictionary (accessible online). For his achievements, Dr. Zykas was awarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
