Sugihara House
Sugihara House
4.5
Speciality Museums • Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Chiune Sugihara memorial museum is an institution dedicated to commemoration of the deeds of Japanese consul Chiune Sugihara. He was working in Kaunas in 1939-1940 and is mostly remembered for saving more than 6000 Jewish refugees.
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
192 reviews
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Hawk470
Baltimore, MD2,552 contributions
Oct 2019
In the annals of the “Righteous Among the Nations”, those who rescued Jews from murder in the Holocaust at great risk to themselves and their families, the tale of Chiune Sugihara, vice-consul in the Japanese consulate in Kaunas, stands out for many reasons, including the sheer number of Jews that he rescued at his own initiative and against the wishes of his government – upwards of 6,000.
Reportedly working 18-20 hours a day and even as he was enroute to the train station after his consulate had been closed, Sugihara issued transit visas for refugees to travel via the Soviet Union to Japan. From Japan, in coordination with his fellow “Righteous Among the Nations”, Jan Zwartendijk of the Netherlands, more than 2,000 went to Curaçao in the Dutch West Indies. The balance went to other countries with the help of the Joint Distribution Committee, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and the Polish Embassy in Japan.
Sugihara House commemorates this man’s compassion, heroism and determination to do the right thing when it would have been much easier to be indifferent. This small museum in an attractive residential neighborhood brings his story to life through the authentic recreation of several rooms in the former consulate, a video about his life, documents from the Japanese archives, photographs and passports from survivors’ families, and more.
Truly inspiring.
Reportedly working 18-20 hours a day and even as he was enroute to the train station after his consulate had been closed, Sugihara issued transit visas for refugees to travel via the Soviet Union to Japan. From Japan, in coordination with his fellow “Righteous Among the Nations”, Jan Zwartendijk of the Netherlands, more than 2,000 went to Curaçao in the Dutch West Indies. The balance went to other countries with the help of the Joint Distribution Committee, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and the Polish Embassy in Japan.
Sugihara House commemorates this man’s compassion, heroism and determination to do the right thing when it would have been much easier to be indifferent. This small museum in an attractive residential neighborhood brings his story to life through the authentic recreation of several rooms in the former consulate, a video about his life, documents from the Japanese archives, photographs and passports from survivors’ families, and more.
Truly inspiring.
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
desperado265
Monsey, NY67 contributions
May 2013 • Family
In a time when most did nothing,lacked moral clarity, or the guts to do something about what was happening in Lithuania, Sugihara was an unbelievable hero. The house is simple, and ina residential neighborhood. The director is knowledgeable and friendly. I felt that I was in a shrine to decency. One of the highlights of my trip, a monument to the possibilities for good we all share as humans!
Written May 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
zippy608
Wakefield, MA2,088 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We actually added the Sugihara House to our list the day we got to Kaunas. We had never even heard of him before, but when we came out of the Devil Museum I looked in the guidebook for other things to see besides the Ninth Fort. I'm sure glad we did. Mr Sugihara was an extraordinary person. He has been called Japan's "Oskar Schindler". Against the government of Japan he wrote up to 300 visas a day which helped save 6,000 Jews during World War 2. The museum has a film, dubbed in English, about Sugihara and there is also a short film of when his wife visited the house as an old lady.
Yes, the museum is small, but the 10 Litas ($4.00) was money well spent to pay tribute to this hero. The world would be a much better place if it had more heroes like Mr. Sugihara.
Yes, the museum is small, but the 10 Litas ($4.00) was money well spent to pay tribute to this hero. The world would be a much better place if it had more heroes like Mr. Sugihara.
Written October 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ChiYuLu
Shenyang, China52 contributions
Apr 2017 • Solo
It's a little hard to find as it's up on a hill, but aside from the museum visit, you get excellent view over the city on the hill! The museum is full of signatures of visitors from Japan, as this part of history is largely unknown even to locals.
The consul Sugihara risked his political life by issuing 2139 visas to Jews who were planning a flight from Nazi invasion as of 1940. Also, it's also a matter of time before USSR officially annex Lithuania. Refugees from Poland, many of them Jews sought visa to Japan, where they could carry on their flight to the Americas by ship (Via Siberian train in the first place).
There's also a movie about this Japanese diplomat, screened 2015.
The staff was a nice girl who turned on the projector showing me a 15min video, which should give you the basics and background you need to know about the time. Then there were two other rooms, I recommend 45min visit. Perfect if you are about to leave town, since it's close to the bus/train station. The view up on the hill, also worth a visit.
The consul Sugihara risked his political life by issuing 2139 visas to Jews who were planning a flight from Nazi invasion as of 1940. Also, it's also a matter of time before USSR officially annex Lithuania. Refugees from Poland, many of them Jews sought visa to Japan, where they could carry on their flight to the Americas by ship (Via Siberian train in the first place).
There's also a movie about this Japanese diplomat, screened 2015.
The staff was a nice girl who turned on the projector showing me a 15min video, which should give you the basics and background you need to know about the time. Then there were two other rooms, I recommend 45min visit. Perfect if you are about to leave town, since it's close to the bus/train station. The view up on the hill, also worth a visit.
Written April 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TravelLover4Ever_27
New Jersey19 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
The museum has the original desk where passports were signed to help people escape the hardships caused by the Nazi party. I went with my friend to attend a special event honoring the 75 year anniversary of the man behind the museum. My friends family members are honored there as well. It is not your typical museum, it has a special meaning for those who were saved thanks to it. Definitely worth a visit.
Written September 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
rm1003
Manchester, UK1,222 contributions
Nov 2015 • Solo
Mr Chiune Sugihara was the Japanese consul in Kovno at the beginning of WW2. He seized the moment in history, selflessly and at his own peril and issued visas to Jewish people against the wishes of his own Government which was allied to Germany.
He is the man who issued visas to the whole Mir Yeshiva and thus saved all their lives. The Mirrer Yeshiva was founded in 1817 in the Polish city of Mir, but when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, the yeshiva community fled to Lithuania. When Lithuania was overrun by Stalin's troops, the Jews sought another refuge. Sanctuary came through Mr. Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Kovno, Lithuania.
Mr Sugihara, consul for less than a year, was issuing visas until his Government ordered him to leave Kovno. He even continued to issue visas on the way to the train station and even on the train before the train began moving.
Mr Chiune Sugihara teaches humanity that one needs to rise to the occasion and do what is right in life even if it is against the law! Today he is a hero but he was not recognised at the time and in fact he lived the rest of his life in obscurity.
The museum is a must for everyone to visit and I felt amazing standing by the gate where the Mir Yeshiva and other Jews stood in a queue waiting for visas that was to save their lives.
He is the man who issued visas to the whole Mir Yeshiva and thus saved all their lives. The Mirrer Yeshiva was founded in 1817 in the Polish city of Mir, but when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, the yeshiva community fled to Lithuania. When Lithuania was overrun by Stalin's troops, the Jews sought another refuge. Sanctuary came through Mr. Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Kovno, Lithuania.
Mr Sugihara, consul for less than a year, was issuing visas until his Government ordered him to leave Kovno. He even continued to issue visas on the way to the train station and even on the train before the train began moving.
Mr Chiune Sugihara teaches humanity that one needs to rise to the occasion and do what is right in life even if it is against the law! Today he is a hero but he was not recognised at the time and in fact he lived the rest of his life in obscurity.
The museum is a must for everyone to visit and I felt amazing standing by the gate where the Mir Yeshiva and other Jews stood in a queue waiting for visas that was to save their lives.
Written December 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
BEAntw
Antwerp, Belgium448 contributions
Sep 2014 • Family
This is a tiny museum in the actual house where Diplomat Chiune Sugihara was stationed in Kaunas where Jewish refugees came to ask him for transit visas. The office room is reconstructed as it was in 1939 and there are very touching pictures and stories from refugees and information about the Holocaust and the Great Chiune Sugihara. It's located in a very nice residential neighbourhood in Kaunas. Definitely worth a visit!
Written September 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Itzhak S
Lithuania102 contributions
Sugihara a Japanese diplomat during WW2 saved 6000 Jews by giving them visas to escape from Europe !!!
Written March 2, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MWandAW
North Sydney, Australia3,705 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
My wife was born in Japan and has been married to me for 33 years, living in Australia. Last year, we attended a one man show about Mr Sugihara's Life and I was really interested in this story. My wife had known about this Japanese Christian man who risked his life to save 2139 Jews from certain death, by providing them with transit visas through Japan. By providing these visas he knew his job would be gone when he returned to Japan, but he did what any Christian would think of doing, and saved as many people that he could. He continued signing visas till the last minute, even when his train was pulling away from the station and in the end handing over his stamp, so that even more could be done. It was his selfless sacrifice, for God's glory. Non Christians won't understand. Last month we travelled the 31 hours to get to Vilnius by air, from Australia and then a further 90 minutes by bus to Kaunas. We had researched the location of Sugihara House on the internet and virtually walked straight there from the bus station. The house was still under renovation when we walked in and it rained heavily on our way to Kaunas. After we arrived, it didn't rain again that day. The museum is small and compact, but fulfilled our expectations. The volunteers from the University that man the entry are particularly helpful and give any assistance to find out about Mr. Sugihara and his family, that you would want to know. When you go you should ask to speak to the charming, Mr. Arvydas Kumpis, who is a senior coordinator at the museum. His commentary was entertaining and precise at the same time and he would be happy to see you. At the entry desk there are a few souvenirs to buy including local chocolate bars. There are two plates of tasting chocolate to try. Free toilets are also available. Please don't be put off by the 4 steep stairways to the street of this museum, it is the quickest way from bottom of the ridge to the top. Highly recommended if you are interested in this special piece of history. Just as an aside to the story, at the one man show we saw in Sydney last year, several people in the audience were related to the people Mr. Sugihara provided visas to and the number of relatives directly related to them, now numbers over 40,000 people.
Written September 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Todd W
Jerusalem, Israel118 contributions
Aug 2015
This small museum hidden away on a quiet street in Kaunas tells the story of Chiune Sugihara who as Japanese consul in Kaunas issued during a short period in 1940 to 6,000 mostly Polish but also Lithuanian Jews transit visas for Japan that enabled then to escape the Nazi killing machine. It's a short but must stop for anyone interested in the history of the region and WWII. Sugihara was also later named in Israel a "Righteous Among the Nations" for his actions, the only Japanese national so honored. The museum has friendly local guides to tell the story along with a short video and other artifacts from the period.
Written August 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Is the house accecible for wheelchair?
Arvydas K
Kaunas County, Lithuania
Hello,
thank you for your inquiry. The museum is still improving it's accessibility but for now there is no special entrance for wheelchair installed.
CX900
Kyoto, Japan11 contributions
タクシーを除いた公共交通機関でのアクセスはありますか？
Arvydas K
Kaunas County, Lithuania
You can reach Sugihara House by taxi and by bus. Taxi will take you right in front of the entrance but taking a bus will demand extra ten minutes of walking - either uphill (if you get off at Griunvaldo stop) or along living district (if you get off at Sporto stop).
Sugihara House (Kaunas) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Sugihara House
- Sugihara House is open:
- Mon - Fri 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Sat - Sun 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Hotels near Sugihara House:
- (0.32 mi) Ibis Kaunas Centre
- (0.26 mi) Perkuno Namai
- (0.43 mi) VICTORIA hotel Kaunas (ex. Europa Royale Kaunas)
- (0.35 mi) Magnus Hotel
- (0.67 mi) Radisson Hotel Kaunas
- Restaurants near Sugihara House:
- (0.34 mi) Mamma Pizza
- (0.25 mi) Perkuno Namai
- (0.63 mi) Casa della Pasta
- (0.30 mi) Challapalli - South Indian Restaurant
- (0.56 mi) Sugamour