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Recent News

Activities in Yaotsu-cho and at the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall

Essay Contests
Memorial Fund
Collection of Visas

Event Information

Notice to visitors

If you have a high fever or symptoms (coughing, sore throat etc.), please refrain from coming.
Please wear a mask and clean your hands with hand sanitizer .Please keep a distance from other people.
We will restrict the number of visitors in order to overcrowding.
We cannot accept group reservation for the time being.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Essay Contests

The 25th Anniversary of

The Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall

Sugihara "Do the Right Thing" Essay Contest

for High School Students in Gifu Prefecture

Essay Contest Flier

To mark the 25th anniversary of The Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall, we are holding an essay contest in Town of Yaotsu, which was initiated by Dr.Sylvia Smoller, one of the Sugihara visa recipients, in the USA who has kindly donated the original passport with Sugihara visa to our town. This contest has been originally held in various cities in the USA and then also in Africa afterwards.

This time, this contest will be held in order to provide an opportunity for high school students in Gifu Prefecture to learn about his courageous humanitarian decisions and historical background, and then to write an essay about the ‘right choice’ in their own daily lives.

This contest is intended to encourage the young generation in Gifu Prefecture, where Chiune Sugihara was born, to write essays that will touch the hearts of people all over the world and hopefully contribute to peace.

< Eligibility >
Students enrolled in senior high schools, senior special-needs schools and senior high schools for special-needs in Gifu Prefecture.

< Number of words in the essay >
1,200 characters or less in Japanese

< Entry period >
Monday 2 June - Thursday 4 September, 2025

<Award ceremony>
Sunday 25 January 2026 at the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall　　　　　　

< Judges >
Mr Hisashi Hara (Specially Appointed Professor, Graduate School of Education, Faculty of Education, Gifu University)
Ms Madoka Sugihara (President of the NPO Chiune Sugihara Visas for Life)
Ms Aya Takahashi (Freelance journalist)
Gifu Prefectural Board of Education (High School Education Section)

< Prizes >
Grand Prize/1 person : Certificate, Supplementary prize and Commemorative gift
Second Prize/2 persons : Certificate, Supplementary prize and Commemorative gift
Third Prize/3 persons : Certificate, Supplementary prize and Commemorative gift
Special prize/1 person : Certificate, Supplementary prize and Commemorative gift

*The supplementary prize will be planed to give a book gift card and a one-day tour to Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan and Waseda University. This tour will be organized supported by Waseda University.

< Supporters >
Gifu Prefecture, Gifu Prefectural Board of Education, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan, Waseda University, NPO Chiune Sugihara Visas for Life, Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum, Holocaust Education Center, Aya Takahashi

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==== Pre-Seminar for Essay Contest ====

Humanitarian Achievements of Chiune Sugihara

and the Relay of Saved Lives

Time : 13時30分 Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Location : The Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall
Speaker: Ms.Madoka Sugihara (President, NPO Chiune Sugihara Visas for Life)

A DVD of the seminar will be available.
Contact: The Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall　
TEL: 0574-43-2460
sugihara-mus@town.yaotsu.lg.jp

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Here we introduce essays written by high school students.

Learning about the achievements of Sugihara and emulating his courageous actions, what do students from around the world think about justice and the ethics required in society?

Chiune Sugihara Memorial Fund

Yaotsu-cho announced its 'City Commitment to Peace' declaration on February 2, 1990 in light of Chiune Sugihara's humanitarian achievements and the honor of having served as his birthplace (b. 1900, d.1986) and followed it by establishing the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Fund on June 20, 1991. 1994 saw the completion of The Hill of Humanity Park. The Fund formed the basis for the long-awaited construction of the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall in 2000. It honors the lone diplomat whose brave efforts saved precious lives. The diplomat, Chiune Sugihara, who hailed from Yaotsu-cho, defied the Japanese government on humanitarian grounds to issue transit visas to save the irreplaceable lives of a number of the several thousand people refugees fleeing Nazi Germany through Poland and Lithuania during his service as a Consul representative at the Japanese Consulate in European Lithuania during the Second World War. His brave actions were finally recognized world-wide and memorials honoring him were established in Lithuania and Israel, with Lithuania even naming a street, "Sugihara Avenue", in honor of him.

TV, radio, newspapers and other media formats in Japan told his story and it came to be included in the English language texts used in high schools as well - paying homage to his humanitarian acts. In Yaotsu-cho, “The Hill of Humanity Park” was constructed on 40,000 square meters of land during the three years after 1991 at a cost of 650,000,000 JPY. The park stands as a symbol of world peace in honor of the Sugihara's monumental achievements and love of humanity for both those at home and abroad. The Chiune Sugihara Fund was established in Yaotsu-cho and it currently supports the maintenance of the park and hall, with future plans to construct research and lodging facilities to promote international exchange programs while continuing to honor Sugihara's humanitarianism. We appreciate your continued kind support and understanding of the Chiune Sugihara Fund.

Bank Name: Japan Post

Account No.: 00800-4-113096

Account Name: Chiune Sugihara Memorial Fund,

Collection of Visas

Visa Information Wanted

Yaotsu-cho and the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall are still collecting information on visas issued by Sugihara.

Contact

Memorial Hall

Yaotsu-cho Yaotsu 1071, Kamo-Gun,Gifu Prefecture, 505-0301
TEL 0574-43-2460　FAX 0574-43-2460

Town Office

Yaotsu-cho Yaotsu 3903-2, Kamo-Gun,Gifu Prefecture, 505-0392
TEL 0574-43-2111　FAX 0574-43-0969

Opening Hours / 9:30 - 17:00 Closed Days / The Memorial Hall is closed on Mondays. If a national holiday occurs on a Monday, the Memorial Hall will be closed on the following Tuesday. Closed on New Year’s Day
※Closed on the following day after holidays and carry over holidays More information

Yaotsu-cho, Yaotsu 1071, Kamo-Gun, Gifu-Prefecture, 505-0301
TEL:0574-43-2460 FAX:0574-43-2460