Chiune Sugihara, Consul for Japan in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania, 1939-1940

Chiune Sugihara (1900-1986), Vice Consul for Japan in Kovno, Lithuania, issued 5,580 transit visas to thousands of Polish Jews stranded in Lithuania.  He issued these visas between July 27 and August 28, 1940.  Sugihara issued these transit visas in conjunction with Dutch honorary consul in Lithuania Jan Zwartendijk, who provided destination visas to the island of Curacao. 

Sugihara asked for and obtained an extension to remain in Kovno for an extra 20 days from the occupying Soviet government officials.  He even issued visas as his train was leaving Kovno for his next assignment.  He issued the visas against the express orders of his government.  These orders explicitly stated that he was not to issue visas to refugees who did not have proper documentation and funds to travel through Japan.  Most of the Jewish refugees met neither requirement.  The Japanese transit visas allowed the refugees to escape from Lithuania through the Soviet Union to Kobe, Japan.  From there, many were able to escape to the United States, Canada, South America, Australia and Palestine.  About 1,000 Sugihara visa recipients survived the war in Shanghai, China. 

Many Sugihara visas were forged by local Polish Jewish refugees and were also used to escape.

In 1947, Sugihara was asked to resign from the Japanese diplomatic service.  He always believed this was for his actions in Lithuania.  Sugihara was aided, encouraged and supported by his wife, Yukiko.  Chiune Sugihara was awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel in 1985. 

Chiune Sugihara died in 1986.  In 2006, the Japanese foreign ministry commended Sugihara for his actions in Lithuania.