🕊️I found this book when I was searching a book about Chiune Sugihara online when I was college. I felt the need to learn about him as a Japanese person. As a Japanese person and an activist, I felt ashamed that although I had heard of his name, I did not know what he did and why he is famous in Japan. In short, he saved the lives of thousands of Jewish people by issuing transit visas to Japan risking his lives and career. I respect him, taking risks and saving the lives of thousand of Jewish people, but that does not mean I support the Israeli genocide against Palestinians. It is really disappointing that many people cannot understand the differences between being against antisemitism and supporting Zionism. If Sugihara was alive today, I’m sure he would fight against Israeli genocide against Palestine and Zionism because he did not save the lives of Jewish people because they were Jewish, but because he believed it was wrong and unfair that their lives and rights were taken away and that all humans deserve living their lives in peace. This is not discussed by many people, but the book also briefly touches upon how well and gently he treated his wife, which was quite rare back then. I also respect him because of that.
📚When Chiune Sugihara was growing up in Japan, he had never even met a Jewish person. There was no way Chiune could know that he would one day save the lives of thousands of Jews – and become a great hero to the Jewish people. Chiune Sugihara was a diplomat who left Japan to work in Lithuania, a small country in Eastern Europe. Part of his job there was to give people permission to leave the country. At the time, Lithuanian Jews were suffering under Nazi rule, and many hoped to escape before they could be taken to concentration camps. Chiune knew he had to help. Going against the wishes of his boss, Chiune allowed nearly 6,000 Jews to leave Lithuania and escape the Nazis.
