Speaker Oshima sends message for unveiling ceremony of monument dedicated to Sugihara Chiune in Lithuania

On Saturday, 17 October, a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of Mr. SUGIHARA Chiune, Vice-Consul of the Japanese Consulate in Kaunas in the Republic of Lithuania, issuing life-saving visas, and also the 120th anniversary of his birth, was hosted by the City of Kaunas and the Kaunas-Japan Friendship Association. Mr. OSHIMA Tadamori, Speaker of the House of Representatives, sent a message for the ceremony, which was read on his behalf by H.E. Mr. YAMASAKI Shiro, Japanese Ambassador to Lithuania, in the presence of H.E. Dr. Gitanas Nausėda, President of Lithuania.

In his message, Speaker Oshima noted that this year marked the 80th anniversary of Mr. Sugihara issuing visas to Jewish refugees to transit through Japan, saving around 6,000 lives, and that the parliament of Lithuania, the Seimas, had decided to designate 2020 as Sugihara Year. He stated that it was significant that this humane act was within the living memory of the people of Japan and Lithuania and that they could praise it together. He then remarked that having this new monument built in Kaunas in honor of Mr. Sugihara illustrated the fact that the two countries share universal values including democracy, the rule of law, and respect for fundamental human rights.

Mr. Oshima closed his message by stating that he would join in commemorating this occasion from Japan and pray that people would keep in mind the humanitarianism which Mr. Sugihara had upheld and that Japan and Lithuania would further deepen their relationship based on mutual understanding.

Monument dedicated to Sugihara Chiune