Madoka Sugihara never had a chance to hear directly from her grandfather, Chiune Sugihara, about his heroic effort as a diplomat during World War II to issue visas allowing thousands of Jews to escape Nazi persecution.
But through the stories of the offspring of the survivors, who were offered the visas to flee from Europe, Sugihara, 51, feels the ongoing significance of what her grandfather did in defiance of the Foreign Ministry's policy at that time.
"In an age when conflicts show no end, I want to speak out about the value of human life and the importance of having the courage to take actions," she said, adding that her mission is to pass on the stories about her grandfather, often dubbed Japan's Oskar Schindler after the German who provided Jews with a safe haven during World War II.