President YOSHIDA Kazuhiro and Professor MOURI Tetsuya from the Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University attended the "105th Anniversary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania and the Independence Restoration Day" held in Tokyo on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
This anniversary event was hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan to celebrate Lithuania's independence from the Russian Empire on February 16, 1918, and the 105th anniversary of the restoration of the State of Lithuania. The event was attended by a group of parliamentarians from Lithuania, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Japan, and the members of the Japan-Lithuania Parliamentary Association.
In his speech, His Excellency Dr. Aurelijus Zykas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania emphasized the strong tie between the Republic of Lithuania and Japan, and also touched on the Ukraine situation today. It was followed by the awards ceremony to honor the individuals who dedicated themselves to the promotion of friendship between the two countries. From Gifu Prefecture, Mr. KANEKO Masanori, Mayor of Yaotsu Town was presented the award for his great contributions.
At the anniversary venue, the original visas issued by SUGIHARA Chiune^1 in Kaunas (former capital of Lithuania) were on display, and the invited guests had a chance to find out more about Mr. Sugihara's act of humanity who served others in the midst of tremendous difficulties.
1) SUGIHARA Chiune (1 January 1900 – 31 July 1986): vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the Second World War, Sugihara helped thousands of Jews flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through Japanese territory.
President Yoshida (left) and His Excellency Dr. Aurelijus Zykas (right)
