Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum
Exhibition. The main exhibit covers the history of Tsuruga Port. Since early times, Tsuruga Port has connected Japan to the Asian continent. Especially starting from the Meiji period to the early Showa period, it enjoyed its heyday by serving as a departing point connecting Japan to the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railroad at Vladivostok. The exhibit highlight the activities of Chiune Sugihara (also pronounced as Senpo Sugihara). While he served as an acting consul of Japanese Consulate in Kaunas, Lithuania, he saved the lives of many Jews persecuted by Nazis by issuing transit visa , ignoring the directives of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Tsuruga Port was the first point of disembarkation on Japanese territory after a long and harsh journey from Europe via Trans-Siberian Railroad. The museum explains how the local citizens warmly supported the Jewish refugees during their short stay in Tsuruga before they departed for further journeys to their final destinations by exhibitions and interviews with those who survived, as well as their descendants. "ムゼウム" is a Japanese transliteration of the word "museum" in Polish, based on the fact that many of the Jewish refugees originated from Poland. Access . The museum is about 30 minute walk from Tsuruga Station of JR Hokuriku Main Line, or an eight minute bus ride (Tsuruga Shuyu bus) from Tsuruga Station to Kanegasaki Park, followed by about a four minute walk. Open date. Closed December 29-January 1. Opens at 9:00 and closes at 17:00 (admission closes at 16:30).