‘Visa of life’ recipient honored for preserving diplomat’s legacy

New York – A U.S. resident who fled Lithuania during World War II on a visa issued by Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara received an award Friday from the Japanese consul-general in New York for her efforts to preserve the late renowned diplomat’s humanitarian legacy.

Sylvia Smoller, 94, received the Consul-General’s Commendation at the official residence of the consul-general in the U.S. city.

Warsaw-born Smoller and her family escaped Nazi persecution of Jewish people after obtaining visas issued in Lithuania by Sugihara, who was stationed in the country at the time, and traveled to the United States via Japan. Such visas issued by Sugihara are often called “visas of life.”

At the award ceremony, Smoller stressed the importance of younger generations upholding the spirit of “benevolence and compassion” that Sugihara valued.

“Sugihara’s message is more important today than it ever was,” amid ongoing conflicts around the world and increasingly dire conditions for immigrants, she told reporters.

Satoshi Katahira, Japan’s consul-general in New York, thanked Smoller, saying that Sugihara’s legacy has continued to inspire people across cultures and generations due to many years of her dedications.

The ceremony was also attended by Masanori Kaneko, mayor of the town of Yaotsu in Gifu Prefecture, Sugihara’s hometown. Kaneko presented Smoller with a replica of the visa Sugihara issued to her father. The original visa was donated to the town by Smoller in 1993.