Japanese diplomat Chiune Sempo Sugihara and his wife Yukiko


 For 29 days, from July 31 to August 28, 1940, Chiune Sugihara and his wife Yukiko worked almost non-stop—18 to 20 hours every day. They sat in Lithuania, hand-writing and signing transit visas to help more than 6,000 Jewish people escape danger during World War II.

When it was finally time for them to leave, Sugihara looked at the crowd and said, “Please forgive me. I cannot write anymore. I wish you the best.” As he bowed, someone in the crowd shouted, “Sugihara! We’ll never forget you. I’ll surely see you again!”

Thanks to what he and his wife did, it’s believed that nearly 100,000 people are alive today.

Chiune Sempo Sugihara (January 1, 1900 – July 31, 1986) is the only Japanese person ever honored as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem for his bravery and compassion.




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