Nishu

Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum

A Memorial to Lives Touched by Acts of Compassion

The Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum tells the story of important humanitarian events that took place at Tsuruga Port, a major shipping hub from the late nineteenth century through the middle of the twentieth century.

During the 1940s, thousands of Jewish refugees from Poland and Lithuania were saved by visas issued by Sugihara Chiune (1900–1986). Sugihara was the vice-consul of Japan in Lithuania at the time, and he issued thousands of life-saving visas, secretly breaking the Japanese government’s rules. These visas allowed the refugees to travel through Japan and onward to safety, and many entered the country through Tsuruga after long, dangerous travels.

This museum focuses on the background of these events, as well as personal memories of refugees meeting the people of Tsuruga. Its distinctive exterior is based on four buildings that were once part of Tsuruga Port, with architectural styles representative of this era of internationalization.