In 1992, six years after his death, a monument to my father was dedicated in his birthplace of Yaotsu, Japan, on a hill that is now known as the Hill of Humanity.
In 1994, a group of Sugihara survivors traveled to Japan to re-dedicate the monument in a ceremony that was attended by several high officials of the Japanese government.
The story of what my father and my family experienced in 1940 is an important one for young people today. It is a story that I believe will inspire you to care for all people and to respect life. It is a story that proves that one person can make a difference.
To write Passage to Freedom, Ken Mochizuki had to gather as much factual information as possible. To do this, he worked closely with the Sugihara family. He also decided to write the account in the first person, as if he was Hiroki, the son of Sugihara. Mochizuki wrote the book in honor of those who have put the safety of others before themselves.
Ken Mochizuki
Hiroki Sugihara has honored his father’s memory in many ways. He donated hundreds of family photos to the Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project. This helped create “Visas for Life,” a photo exhibit that appeared in over 100 museums worldwide. Sugihara has helped to honor diplomats like his father who helped save the lives of Jewish people during World War II.
Hiroki Sugihara