Autumn, 1939. Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, received news of his new posting. His government had appointed him the Vice Consul at Kaunas, a city in South Central Lithuania.
Chiune’s mission was to set up a consulate in the picturesque city. The Japanese government had no consulate or embassy in Kaunas until his appointment.
News of Chiune’s posting was most curious. There weren’t many Japanese citizens or diaspora in the city. Japan did not even have extensive trade links with the city. Then, why would the Japanese government spend valuable resources to set up a mission in Kaunas?
Chiune’s appointment was a secret diplomatic mission. The Japanese suspected that Nazi Germany, their ally, made a secret pact with Joseph Stalin. The only way to find out the truth was to deploy their diplomat on the ground.
In short, Chiune was tasked with setting up a consulate and asked to investigate if Nazi Germany was making secret pacts with Joseph Stalin.
Chiune chose to become a diplomat, much against his father’s wishes. His father wanted him to be a doctor, but Chiune had other plans for himself.
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