ちえとくをフォローする

Uncategorized

第二次世界大戦:ユダヤ人の亡命を助けた日本人・樋口季一郎

many people know the existence of chiune sugihara, a former diplomat known for granting “visas for life” to 6,000 jewish refugees during world war ii. unfortunately, however, not many people know the name of kiichiro higuchi, another japanese who saved a large number of jewish refugees in the last war.

pin

kiichiro was born in awaji island, hyogo prefecture in 1888 as the eldest of five children. he was so talented that he went to military academy in 1909 and at the same time studied russian at the tokyo foreign language school at the same time. after graduating from the army college at the age of 31, he was fluent in russian, so he was assigned to vladivostok, where japan was sending troops to siberia at the time.

pin

higuchi, who moved to russia and poland using his russian language, joined harbin in manchuria in 1935. the following year, in 1938, a major change in his life occurred in manchuria.

pin

in march 1938, 18 jewish refugees fled nazi persecution at the siberian railway otpol station (now zabaykarisk station), located on the border between the former soviet union and manchuria, about 500 km from harbin, where higuchi was assigned. the only purpose they have for descending on this far east. it was china’s exile to the shanghai concession.

pin

however, at that time, the ministry of foreign affairs of manchuria was reluctant to grant entry permission to the jewish refugees because of consideration for nazi germany where japan had signed the japan-germany defense agreement. kiichiro higuchi who heard that was not able to see the plight, and the instruction was put out to distribute food, clothes, and fuel to the jew on the same day, and to arrange the settlement to the manchuria country and the transfer to the shanghai concession though the fate of the jew who was not able to move in the border between the soviet union and manchuria seemed hopeless.

pin

since then, the number of jews measuring asylum via this escape route, which has been called the “higuchi route” among jews fleeing europe, continues to increase, and according to one theory, there are reports that the lives of as many as 4,000 jewish refugees have been saved. the higuchi route later developed into a major diplomatic issue between germany and japan. at that time, german foreign minister litventrop sent a protest sentence to higuchi.

pin

関東軍内部でも樋口への処分を求める声が高まる中、樋口はユダヤ人への支援を続け、司令部に出頭し当時の関東軍総参謀長・東條英機と面会した際には「ヒトラーのお先棒を担いで弱いものイジメをすることを正しいと思われますか」と反対派を強く批判。その結果、ドイツからの再三にわたる抗議を「人道的配慮」と一蹴する決定が下されるに至ったのです。

pin

そして「オトポール事件」から7年後の1945年、日本は敗戦を迎えます。終戦当時、占守島や樺太における対ソビエト軍戦闘指揮を行なっていた樋口をスターリンは極東国際軍事裁判で「A級戦犯」にするよう指名。しかし、いち早くこの動きを察知した世界ユダヤ人会議は、世界中のユダヤ人コミュニティを総動員し、世界規模の樋口季一郎救出作戦を展開。その結果、連合軍最高司令官ダグラス・マッカーサーは、ソ連からの樋口引き渡し要求を拒否、身柄を保護するに至ったそうです。

pin

樋口への恩返しともいえるユダヤ人たちの行動に心を動かされますね。樋口が30年間籍を置いていた岐阜県大垣市にある丸の内公園には、平成21年12月8日にイスラエル駐日大使から寄贈されたオリーブの苗木が植えられています。杉原千畝と同様にユダヤ人の命を救おうと奔走した樋口の名が、日本中に知れ渡る日が来ることを切に願わずにはいられません。

WikiCommons: 日本語: 榊原平 English: Taira Sakakibara

プレビュー画像:©︎ Pinterest/bunshun.jp