In 1920, Polish orphans rescued in Siberia, and in 1940, Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany landed at the port of Tsuruga, clutching “life visas” issued by Chiune Sugihara, acting consul in Kanaus, Lithuania. Exhibition about them is being held at the Tsuruga Museum.
It is said that Sugihara issued visas for passage through Japan from his humanitarian standpoint, saving as many as 6,000 lives that came to Tsuruga. The exhibits include Chiune’s life story, a clock left by a refugee, and replicas of the visa for life.