17. Sugihara’s Efforts to Save Jewish Refugees Attracted to the Unwelcome Attentions of Officials Back in Japan
After he had granted about 1800 visas to refugees, authorities in Tokyo noticed the unusually large number of visas being issued from their consulate in Kovno. Until then, it had been a backwater of a diplomatic outpost that saw little activity. Japan’s Foreign Ministry insisted that visas should be granted only to those who had gone through the appropriate immigration procedures, and had adequate funds. Most of the refugees granted visas by Sugihara did not meet those criterion.
So his superiors sent a cable, reminding him to: “make sure that they [refugees] have finished their procedure for their entry visas and also they must possess the travel money or the money that they need during their stay in Japan. Otherwise, you should not give them the transit visa“.