Chiune Sugihara was the Japanese Vice-Consul for Lithuania during the outbreak of World War II. One of his duties included issuing visas allowing for travel to Japan.
Against the direction of his government, he helped Polish and Lithuanian Jews escape Nazi oppression by issuing transit visas, allowing them to leave Poland (then controlled by the Nazis and Soviet Union) and Lithuania (which was under treaty with the Soviets). Most fled through Russia and China before stopping in Japan on their way to refuge in another country.
For about six weeks in 1940, from mid-July until the consulate closed in September, Chiune hand-wrote and stamped an estimated 2,000 visas to help Jews flee to safety. Many of the visas he issued were for the heads of households who could bring their families with them.
For his part in saving thousands of Jewish lives, Chuine was honored with the title of “Righteous Among the Nations” by the State of Israel in 1985
This bronze statue is in a small public space at the northeast corner of Central and 2nd in Little Tokyo. The statue features Chiune sitting on a bench holding out a visa as if he’s handing it to someone. The bench he sits on is wide enough for one or two real-life people to sit next to the figure.
A rock with two bronze plaques and an inscription sits next to the statue. The topmost bronze plaque identifies the sculpture by its full title — Chiune Sugihara Memorial, Hero of the Holocaust — and identifies its sculptor — Ramon G. Velasco, who completed the work in 2002.
The lower bronze plaque displays a quote from the Talmud — “He who saves one life, saves the world” — followed by the donor recognition: “A gift from the Neman Foundation and Levy Affiliated Holdings, LLC.”
The inscription carved into the rock reads:
Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara
1900 – 1986
A Japanese consul in Lithuania who issued handwritten visas to thousands of Jewish refugees, against the express order of his government, and saved innocent lives during the Holocaust.
His courageous efforts put his own family in danger and eventually cost him his career.
