In the history of the Holocaust, one of the most fascinating -- and largely unknown -- stories of the Righteous Gentiles is that of a Japanese diplomat named Chiune Sugihara. Consul-General Sugihara was stationed in Kaunas, Lithunania in March, 1939. In July, 1940, as the Germans advanced on Lithuania, all diplomats were instructed to leave their embassies in Kaunas. Only a Dutch consul and Chiune Sugihara remained behind. The Jews of Kaunas and the surrounding areas were desperate for passports to leave the country, but obtaining visas proved almost impossible. Eventually, they sought help from Sugihara.

Seeing their desperate situation, Sugihara had to probe his conscience. At the end of July, 1940, against the rules from his commanders in Tokyo, Sugihara and his wife spent four long weeks writing visas by hand. Of the almost 6,000 Jews with Sugihara visas, most ended up in Kobe, Japan until after the war.

His humility prevented Sugihara from discussing his herioc actions after the war. As a result, many Jews have not known the story of Sugihara, one of the foremost saviors of the Holocaust. And of the thousands of Sugihara survivors, many did not know the name of the man who had written their passports.

A full portrait of the man and his deeds can be found on this web site by following the links on the left.

New! I am now planning to edit a collection of personal stories from Sugihara survivors. If you, a relative, or an acquaintance of yours received a Sugihara visa, please contact me, Dr. David Eagleman, for more information on becoming part of the book.

Email Dr. David Eagleman at The Sugihara Project