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There is a relationship with Chuo-ku! Follow the footsteps of Chiune Sugihara
@Chiune Sugihara SEMPO Museum
Hello. I'm the active correspondent Hanes!
The other day, I was finally able to go to Chiune Sugihara SEMPO Museum, which I wanted to visit from the beginning of the opening.
At this museum, you can learn about the life of Chiune Sugihara, who delivered visas to many Jews persecuted by Nazis Germany in Kaunas, Lithuania, where he was assigned as a consular representative of the Japanese Consulate during World War II, and saved about 6,000 Jews.
The visa issued by him is called the "Visa of Life", and there are now more than 250,000 people, including those who have been saved and their descendants, and many of them are active all over the world.
Although it was possible to shoot only a limited place in the museum, there were many very interesting exhibitions, and the connection with Chuo-ku, which would not be well known inside, was also "discovered"!
It was on July 29, 1940 that he began issuing visas to Jewish refugees.
Why don't you learn about his life and contributions at this museum near Tokyo Station in July?
A number of rich exhibits
In this museum, there are many interesting exhibits that are not generally well-known, as well as those related to the "visa of life" mentioned above.
This time, we will pick up and introduce some of the exhibition contents that will make people who have not yet visited this museum think "I want to go ^^".
・On September 9, 1937 (Thursday), the menu "Reproduction" of the luxury cruise ship "Bremen" boarded when Mrs. Sugihara and his wife headed from New York to Finland.
The breakfast menu starts with a variety of fruits such as Huckleberries.
If you look at the ice cream column on the lunch menu, Chocolate Nut Sundae, Vanilla Ice-cream, Wafers, Orange Ice-cream, Friandises are all delicious.
Did Mrs. Sugihara also have one of the ice creams?
When you start thinking in this way, you will also be worried about appetizers and main menus. ^^
("Decision Stamp" that can be stamped to commemorate the visit)
・Noh mask used in the musical "SEMPO-Japanese Schindler Chiune Sugihara-" premiered in 2008
This Noh mask was used in scenes depicting Hitler and the Japanese army that put pressure on Mr. Sugihara.
In the musical, there were intense movements such as going down the stairs, so the holes in the eyes are particularly large.
This is an unusual example that is rarely seen in the world, so if you like Noh, please take a look at it.
In addition, you can learn more about the relationship between Mr. Sugihara and Mr. Sugihara, the role of the Curacao Visa that enabled the Visa of Life and Leo Melamed, Honorary Chairman of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, including the establishment of the International Monetary Market (IMM), the world's first currency futures exchange in 1972.
Chiune Sugihara x Chuo-ku
Although it is not known compared to the "Visa of Life", there is actually a place related to Mr. Sugihara in Chuo Ward.
It may be surprising, but that place is the current Matsuya Ginza!
(From the National Diet Library Digital Collection "Moger Photography Material" / Internet release (expiration of protection period))
Unfortunately, there are not many documents detailing his work history in Japan from his retirement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1947 to his single assignment as Director of Kawakami Trading in 1960.
In fact, for more than a decade, he has been able to experience a number of workplaces with outstanding language skills.
One of them was the Matsuya Ginza Main Store, which was completely requisitioned as a PX (US military stand) by GHQ.
There is a record that in January 1951 he became the general manager of Japan, and you can also see some exhibits related to this at this museum.
References and Websites
National Diet Library Digital Collection "Photo Materials Photographed by Mr. Mojah"
http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/10756455 ※Internet access (expiration of protection period)
Hitoshi Shiraishi, "Diplomat Betting on Sugihara Chiune Information" (Shincho Bunko, 2015)
Hitoshi Shiraishi "The Age War and Intelligence Diplomacy of Chiune Sugihara" (Tsunogawa Sensho, 2015)
Published by Solly Ganol, translated by Kenshiro Otani, "The Notebook of the Jewish saved by the Japanese" (Kodansha, 1997)
■Aside
The "Moger Photography Materials" digitized color slides (304 pieces) donated by relatives of Robert V. Mosier, a resident of the United States in 2008, at the National Diet Library, and released in 2017. It was done.
From April 1946 to January 1947 after World War II, Mojah, who stayed in Japan as a civilian staff at GHQ, took a look at streetscapes and buildings taken throughout Japan, including Tokyo, Nagoya, and Hiroshima.
Introduction Facility Information
Chiune Sugihara SEMPO Museum
Location 2nd floor of Sagami Building 2-7-9 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Opening hours: 11：00～17：00
Closed days: Monday and Tuesday (* Open if regular holidays are public holidays. For more information, please visit the website.
Admission fee: 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for junior high and high school students, free for elementary school students and younger
Homepage: http://sempomuseum.com/