Humanitarian Cherry Blossoms
Chiune Sugihara's Story, Opera "Humanitarian Cherry Blossoms"[edit]
Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara 's Story, Opera "Humanitarian Cherry Blossoms ( Jindo no Sakura ) " is a Japanese opera that premiered in Vilnius Lithuania in 2015.
This story is based on the fact that diplomat Chiune Sugihara has helped many Jewish refugees by issuing visas from a humanitarian standpoint without following the Foreign Ministry's orders. The story describes the life from his school days until his honor was restored. Performance time 2 hours 15 minutes.
Making history[edit]
Japanese opera singer Yuri Shinada wrote the script based on historical facts in a way that was easy to understand for even children, and Yuki Ando wrote the songs accordingly. Later, writers, composers, directors and performers volunteered to launch the "Chiune Sugihara Opera, Humanitarian Cherry Blossoms" production committee. At the time of production, it has been supervised by Chiune Sugihara Research Group, Taisho Publishing, and Katsumasa Watanabe, a researcher at Sugihara.
Synopsis[edit]
Act 1[edit]
Under the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Vilnius, Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara's wife, Yukiko, sings "Sakura Sakura" in a kimono and reminisces about her deceased husband's younger days.
Chiune, who has just entered Waseda University, leaves his hometown and lives alone for the first time in Tokyo. He sings his future dream of studying English and achieving a peaceful world with Ms. Haru, the owner of the boarding house.
The stage moves to Manchuria after the Manchurian Incident. Chiune, who has just been assigned to the Foreign Affairs Department in Manchuria, negotiates with Russia for the purchase of Hokuman Railway under the orders of his boss, Chuichi Ohashi.
Chiune negotiated with Russia to buy a railway. Russia offered a price of 600 million yen, but succeeded in negotiations to purchase for 140 million yen using preliminary research and skillful Russian language. Despite his great achievement,
Chiune saw the domineering of Japanese soldiers in Manchuria, was disappointed with his job in Manchuria, and returned to mainland Japan to find his own job.
Returning home, Chiune met his friend's sister, Yukiko, married, and moved to Lithuania while raising two children. He witnessed the persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany as World War II broke out.
On July 18, 1940, a large number of Jewish refugees rushed to the consulate in Kaunas, where Chiune worked, in search of issuing transit visas for Japan.
Chiune applied to the Ministry for permission to issue a large number of visas, but Japan had recently signed a Japan-German Defense Agreement with Germany, and he was ordered by the Ministry not to grant visas.
Chiune sees Jewish refugees, who are chased by the Nazi Germany and threatened for life, desperately begging for visas, and finally decides to issue visas to save their lives. He followed his father's teaching, "Whatever others say, do what you think is right."
Chiune continued to write visas day or night, whether the pen broke, whether he had been ordered to leave the consulate and moved to a hotel, and even on the platform at the station leaving Kaunas.
Following the chorus of Jewish refugees seeking visas, Chiune sings Aria, "Forgive me, I can't write anymore. Please stay alive!" ,and he leaves Kaunas. Act 1 ends with the scene where Jewish refugees shout "Sempo" and "Sugihara" and say goodbye and see him off.
Act 2[edit]
Act 2 begins with Jewish refugees, who have obtained a visa issued by Chiune, passing through Russia, with hope and anxiety, boarding from Vladivostok and sailing to Tsuruga.
The rustic and peaceful people of Tsuruga greeted them warmly by feeding them, buying watches to provide evacuation funds, and providing public baths for free.
The duet song "Country like heaven" by Sarah and Ben, who were warmly welcomed by the people of Tsuruga, became a chorus with Jewish refugees in the second half and praised the wonderful country Japan (NIPPON), a country like heaven.
Japan was defeated in World War II, and Chiune returned to Japan in April 1947 after being deported to a concentration camp.
Chiune, who was told by the vice minister of Foreign Affairs to retire and was rumored to receive money from the Jews for issuing visas, left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a small retirement allowance. Chiune sings Aria "Was I wrong?" And concludes that he did something obviously as a person before he was a diplomat.
Chiune's third son, Haruki, dies of illness, but Chiune is too poor to hold a funeral. Yukiko sings her sorrow while crying.
On the summer morning of 1968, Chiune, aged 68 then, was contacted by the Israeli Embassy in Japan , and reunited with the Jewish Nishri, who had previously been issued a visa by Chiune in Kaunas, at the embassy.
Nishri has been searching for a lifesaver "Sempo" for 28 years, but has been told that there is no such record when calling the embassy.
Nishri finally found Chiune after a great deal of trouble and met him again at the Embassy for the first time in 28 years. The two embrace each other.
Chiune is awarded the Yad Bashem Award by the Israeli government. The chorus celebrates Chiune at a ceremony in Israel.
Jews complain about why the Japanese government did nothing or dismissed such a wonderfully respected person.
In 1986, one year after receiving the Yad Bashem Award, Chiune died at the age of 86. Fourteen years later, in 2000, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono officially apologized as the Japanese government.
The following year, his alma mater Waseda University built a monument in Vilnius, Lithuania, and planted 250 cherry trees around it.
The last theme song "Humanitarian Cherry Blossoms" begins.
Yukiko talks. "Your flower has bloomed so beautiful this year, too." The song begins with Yukiko's solo, and everyone closes with a large chorus.
Performance history [edit]
- May. 12, 2015 National Drama Theatre Vilnius in Lithuania.
- Jul. 26, 2015 Auditorium Okuma in Waseda University.
- Dec. 5, 2015 Shinagawa Kyurian Tokyo 2 performed day and night.
- Mar. 25, 2017 Shinjuku Cultural Center double cast day and night.
- Jan. 27,28, 2018 Gifu Seiryu Bunka Plaza Nagaragawa hall. With Wien-Gifu Choir.
- Jan. 26,27, 2019 Gifu Seiryu Bunka Plaza Nagaragawa hall. With Wien-Gifu Choir.
- Jul. 20,21, 2019 Alios, Iwaki Performing Center Fukushima. With Akira Ishikawa Iwaki Choir.
- Dec.6,7, 2019 Tsuruga Citizen Culture Center With Tsuruga Choir and Chorus Mare and Nagauta Shiki No Tsuruga Hozonkai.
External links[edit]
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