1995, Visas for Life by Yukiko Sugihara, WW II HOLOCAUST, SIGNED + EPHEMERA, VG

Description: Published by Edu-Comm Plus of San Francisco in 1995, this is a SPECIAL PRE-PUBLICATION COPY, 55th Anniversary Commemorative Edition. Authored by Yukiko Sugihara, translated by Hiroki Sugihara. THIS COPY IS NICELY INSCRBED THE TRANSLATOR, HIKOR SUGIHARA. While I can't Japanese, the English written signature clearly has the first name initial of H, and the last name beginning with "S". Also, another copy online which has the same handwriting of the English signature and Japanese text also claims this to be the signature of the translator. BONUS: THREE PIECES OF EPHEMERA ASSOCIATED WITH THE RELEASE OF THIS PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK including: The business cark of Hiroki Sugihara, translatorA yellow fold-out flier for an evening in a New York restauranta 4-page (2 pieces of paper) stapled flier for an event at the Japanese American United Church in NY The book is in VERY GOOD CONDITION. The dust jacket has very light edge wear, no chips or tears, fully intact. Clean blue cloth boards with gilt letters. No further interior marks in 167 clean and solidly bound pages, many B&W photos throughout. From an online site describing the heroism of Chiune and his wife, Yukiko Sugihara, who authored this book: "Chiune Sugihara, and his wife Yukiko, are honored as “Righteous Gentiles” for their efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust. In the course of human existence, many people are tested. Only a few soar as eagles and achieve greatness by simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and humanity. This is the story of a man and his wife who, when confronted with evil, obeyed the kindness of their hearts and conscience in defiance of the orders of an indifferent government. These people were Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara who, at the beginning of World War II, by an ultimate act of altruism and self-sacrifice, risked their careers, their livelihood and their future to save the lives of more than 6,000 Jews. This selfless act resulted in the second largest number of Jews rescued from the Nazis... ....In March 1939, Japanese Consul-General Chiune Sugihara was sent to Kaunas to open a consulate service. Kaunas was the temporary capital of Lithuania at the time and was strategically situated between Germany and the Soviet Union. After Hitler’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Chiune Sugihara had barely settled down in his new post when Nazi armies invaded Poland and a wave of Jewish refugees streamed into Lithuania. They brought with them chilling tales of German atrocities against the Jewish population. They escaped from Poland without possessions or money, and the local Jewish population did their utmost to help with money, clothing and shelter.... ...On a summer morning in late July 1940, Consul Sempo Sugihara and his family awakened to a crowd of Polish Jewish refugees gathered outside the consulate. Desperate to flee the approaching Nazis, the refugees knew that their only path lay to the east. If Consul Sugihara would grant them Japanese transit visas, they could obtain Soviet exit visas and race to possible freedom. Sempo Sugihara was moved by their plight, but he did not have the authority to issue hundreds of visas without permission from the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo... ...After repeatedly receiving negative responses from Tokyo, the Consul discussed the situation with his wife and children. Sugihara had a difficult decision to make. He was a man who was brought up in the strict and traditional discipline of the Japanese. He was a career diplomat, who suddenly had to make a very difficult choice. On one hand, he was bound by the traditional obedience he had been taught all his life. On the other hand, he was a samurai who had been told to help those who were in need. He knew that if he defied the orders of his superiors, he might be fired and disgraced, and would probably never work for the Japanese government again. This would result in extreme financial hardship for his family in the future. Chiune and his wife Yukiko even feared for their lives and the lives of their children, but in the end, could only follow their consciences. The visas would be signed. For 29 days, from July 31 to August 28, 1940, Mr. and Mrs. Sugihara sat for endless hours writing and signing visas by hand. Hour after hour, day after day, for these three weeks, they wrote and signed visas. They wrote over 300 visas a day, which would normally be one month’s worth of work for the consul. Yukiko also helped him register these visas. At the end of the day, she would massage his fatigued hands. He did not even stop to eat. His wife supplied him with sandwiches. Sugihara chose not to lose a minute because people were standing in line in front of his consulate day and night for these visas. When some began climbing the compound wall, he came out to calm them down and assure them that he would do is best to help them all. Hundreds of applicants became thousands as he worked to grant as many visas as possible before being forced to close the consulate and leave Lithuania. Consul Sugihara continued issuing documents from his train window until the moment the train departed Kovno for Berlin on September 1, 1940." B76

Price: 72 USD

Location: Burtonsville, Maryland

End Time: 2024-08-09T15:08:06.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6 USD