In his - brilliant - book "Bloodlands", Timothy Snyder writes about the Russian-speaking Japanese consul in Kaunas, who used as informers and assistants Polish officers who had escaped the Soviets and the Germans. They got Japanese passports and travel documents by which then traveled all through the USSR and escaped through Japan to the West.. Later the consul, Chiune Sugihara, with the help of Polish officers helped several thousands of Jews to escape from Lithiania through the USSR by rail and then onwards to Palestine or the USA.
And he concludes: "This action was the coda, silent but firm, of decades of Polish-Japanese intelligence cooperation". Remarkable story and a remarkable man - A Japanese Oskar Schindler. Does anybody know something more about that Polish-Japanese cooperation?
Poland-Japan Secret Cooperation During World War II: Sugihara Chiune and Polish Intelligence
And wikipedia has this: History of the Jews in Japan.
"Of those who arrived, many (around 5,000) were sent to the Dutch West Indies with Japanese visas issued by Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul to Lithuania. Sugihara ignored his orders and gave thousands of Jews entry visas to Japan, risking his career and saving more than 6,000 lives. Sugihara is said to have cooperated with Polish intelligence, as a part of bigger Japanese-Polish cooperative plan. They managed to flee across the vast territory of Russia by train to Vladivostok and then by boat to Kobe in Japan. The refugees in number of 2,185 arrived in Japan from August 1940 to June 1941.
But what about the Polish-Japanese cooperation before?
Piłsudski went to Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and urged the Japanese to allow their Polish POWs to arm themselves and fight against the Russians but the Japanese declined.
The Japanese are good people. No wonder whatever you throw at them, they rise and rise good!
Under indications on court the commander of Kvantuns army of general Otsudzo Jamady, «the Group 731» has been organized with a view of biological warfare preparation, mainly against Soviet Union, and also against the Mongolian National Republic, China and other states. By judicial examination also it has been proved that in «Group 731» on live people whom Japanese among themselves named "logs", not Japanese (Chineses, Russian, Mongols, the Koreans seized by gendarmerie or special services of Kvantuns army), other, not less cruel and painful experiences which did not have the direct relation to preparation of biological warfare [1] were spent also.
Some medical officers of group became subsequently the known surgeons doing unique operations thanks to experience, got in «Group 731». Perhaps, it is possible to name the most typical this sort of experience opening of the live person [2]. At experimental under anesthetic or under local anesthesia gradually took all vitals, one after another [3], since a peritoneum and a thorax and finishing a brain. Still the live bodies named "preparations", left on the further researches in different departments of group.
Limits of endurance of a human body in certain conditions - for example, at the big heights were studied or at low temperature. For this purpose people placed in pressures chamber, fixing on a film an agony, freezed extremities and observed gangrene approach. If the prisoner, despite infection with his killing bacteria, recovered, it didn't rescue him from repeated experiences which proceeded until there came death. "Pre-production models" never left laboratories live [4].
In similar activity with reference to pets and agricultural crops was engaged and «Group 100». Also on «Group 100» problems on manufacture of the bacteriological weapon and carrying out of diversionary actions were assigned.
The basis «group 100» was in 10 kilometers to the south of Sintszina in a place of Mentszjatun. «The group 100» was slightly less «Group 731», staff of his employees totaled 800 persons.
Activity «Group 731» was investigated in a course of "the Khabarovsk process» which has come to the end with condemnation of some the military men of Kvantunsky army involved in his creation and work, to various terms of imprisonment.
Later many employees of this group have received scientific degrees and social recognition, for example Masadzi Kitano [5]. Many have moved to the USA, for example the head of group Isii [6] where were appreciated the knowledge got in group [6]. The American authorities haven't called these criminals to account because as it is underlined in the book of Morimury, the information on Japanese experiments in the field of the bacteriological weapon was of great value for the American program on his working out...
I think I've mentioned this before, when I was a child we had three neighbours who had been Japanese prisoners of war, two of them soldiers, but one woman was a child in Burma when she, her mother and siblings were taken by the Japs. One of the men had managed to rebuild his life, but had a deep hatred of the Japanese, would not have any Japanese products in his house, the other was on a permanent return trip to the mental hospital where he eventually died. The lady whoa was just a child when taken by the Japs had snow white hair, she was born with black hair, but it turned white when she was 13 because of the treatment she received. She told me how her brother aged ten had a fever, the Japs said he was infectious, doused his bed with petrol and was about to set fire to it, with the boy alive in it, when a doctor stopped them saying that it was not infectious.
I put those up not to have a go at todays japanese in any way,just as a counter to lodz's rather rosey view. One I know me and you have both seen from Poles before. I really do wonder if they are taught anything about the war in the Far East? Ive noticed Polish Americans dont have the same collective blindness to Japans brutal past :(
Poles, my venerable sisters and brothers. We Slavs from Baltic to Balkan, in Central Europe, Poles and Serbians, as key representatives of Slavic West and South needs to care to have good relations with proud Japanese civilization.
This is how we Serbians welcome friends form Japan > Japanese PM Shinzo Abe today arrived in Serbia`s Belgrade Airport Nikola Tesla > We welcomed Japanese PM with `Blue Guard of Slavia` > from 5 days visit to Europe, two days goes on Serbia >
NOTE: One historical curiosity > In Japanese military encyclopedias, Serbians are praised and described as only people in Europe capable to give examples of patriotic military fanaticism that could be compared to Japanese.
Do Poles follow direction of Japan policy? Are Poles aware whats going on, what doing Poland`s western European partners? Let me show you
Did Japanese PM Shinso Abe received strange message from certain interest circles, during his visit to Europe?
Nothing in diplomacy on top level goes accidentally. Especially if strange event happen twice in 24 hours. So, I think that Shiso Abe received message to be careful. I would even dare to speculate that those were Anglos, Germanics and French who warned him.
Let me explain. First, during his visit to Serbia Japanese PM underlined that Japan wants to help in healing of all what was in Serbia damaged in NATO bombardment, back in 1999. So Japan donated one entire recycling plant to Serbia due to damages that NATO inflicted on nature here with depleted uranium. Then, Japan donated 80.000 eur to the maternal ward in Belgrade that was target of NATO bombs. Finally, NATO supports government of Serbia by donating 150 vehicles for use of governmental officials (Toyata and Mazda being sponsors).
Worth to be mentioned is that Japanese PM and Serbian PM during news conference mentioned issue from 1912 year, when after Balkan Wars, emissary of Japan Tzar gave support to Serbia (in embassy in London) after Britain and France betrayed alliance with Serbia and issued pressure on its Serbian allies to give up from its old ethnic territories liberated from Ottoman Empire, in great struggle where Serbian army was main factor for collapse of entire Turkish European army. Back then Britain and France threatened Serbia even with war if just Serbia don`t leave territory of what is now northern Albania. It was pre-text for Brito-Franco-Germanic formation of Albania (never before Albania existed as state).
Anyway, at a time when Japanese PM was leaving Serbia, prominent Serb politician on Kosovo was assassinated. Then, after arriving in Romania, Japan PM founded itself in situation that nobody wants to receive him for audience.
In diplomacy nothings is accidental. Shinso abe revived message. That message is- possibility of assassination and isolation of Japan.
Poland hasnt gave 2 ***** about japan simce walesa said hed turn poland into japan.. he failed... theyre more interested in china atm esp with pis and one belt. Soon well be able to take trains to beijing or shanghai
The toyota land cruiser is a beast. Id take that anyday over the constantly breaking land rovers the un also uses
I don`t understand Poland`s policy. Hope that Polish politicians understand and, Poles, too. Who knows who rule Poland and dictate things there, I mean, beside Christ The King.
The two countries enjoy warm relations and have done for a long time.Not just symbolic things like The Emperor's visit to Warsaw or President Kwasniewski's visit to Tokyo, but tanglibles like trade links and joint educational initiatives.
That message is- possibility of assassination and isolation of Japan.
Rubbish. Serbia is an irrelevance - nothing said there or about it has the slightest interest to outsiders.
Seams that Poland always wait for western Europe or USA to approve everything. Good thing is that Poland at least used opportunity, while we Serbians hold western Europeans, to little bit escape from pure obedience.
Also, now when Japan gave middle finger to NATO and Britain, one can only hope that Poland government won`t hurry to ruin its relations with Japan and that way bring more isolation to Poland. I hope that Japan`s policy may stimulate Poland to new disobedience to EU.
Don't be silly. Nobody cares about Serbia.
Hungary care for Serbia. They learned to respect us and we respect them and we love each others. We have separate regional alliance, to secure ourselves from cretinism of greedy western Europeans.
guests of japan
British prisoners?
But what Brits ever wanted in Asia? Greed, greed
Its only pity that Japan mistaken and sided with Germany when by every logic Japan have natural allies in Slavs. On the other side, in our time Britain sided with Germany. Made same mistake as Japan in the past.
To all who seek to understand Poland`s place in European and global politics, next news would be interesting. After all, we speak of activities of global players in countries of Central European Initiative.
Japanese PM Shinso Abe and Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, few days ago in Belgrade
We now learned why Japanese PM visited Serbia. So, thanks to its policy of military neutrality on global military alliances, promotion of Multi-Polar world and values of non-Aligned movement, and insistence to give equal chances to every business that coming to Serbia, after China and Russia, after recent interest from Israel, Brazil, India and Turkey, Japan as one more global player wants strategic relations with Serbia. Particularly, Japan seek for Serbian mediation in Japanese-Chinese relations.
A real curiosity is that when Poland, under the influence of the Allies, declared war on Japan during World War II, Japan did not accept this declaration of war. This is probably the only such case in history. Interestingly, despite the declaration of war, Polish and Japanese intelligence services continued to cooperate by exchanging information about their common enemy, Russia.
Poland would have been better off if it had continued cooperating with Japan or South Korea. China and Russia are too big to be viable partners for Poland. The USA is just an aszh0le these days for all countries, including itself, except Israel
Polish and Japanese intelligence services continued to cooperate by exchanging information about their common enemy,..
While meanwhile, the Nazis of Asia were bayoneting Chinese babies, raping and massacring their way across the continent, starving and torturing POWs, and having competitions (promoted in national media back in Japan) to see which army officer could behead the most civilians in countries they invaded.
Truly one of the worst hot trash Polish WW2 takes is "the honourable Japanese were great guys and never really our enemy anyway". Just because the Empire of Japan never did anything to Poland doesn't mean they weren't despicable monsters.
To put it into perspective for Poles: the Japs killed from two to three times as many people, by many estimates, in Nanjing alone, than the UPA killed Poles in Volhynia. They've never apologised specifically for that genocide, they aren't exactly flowing with repentance for their crimes in general, they quibble over the facts and they even venerate their war criminals at a shrine.
In total, most historians say they killed between 3 million to 20 million innocent Chinese. These are your 'honorable friends'. This is why nobody in China or indeed most of Asia was particularly sorrowful when Asia's very own Nazis got nuked not once but twice.
Mao was no saint, nor Tojo on the Japanese side. However, neither of the above were unwilling to curry favor the "enemy" if the latter kowtowed to their whimsy.
On the whole, the Nazis made zero exceptions once the enemy was deemed ineducable!
Merely saying the crimes of Mao in the pursuit of "modernizing"China cannot, indeed should not, be equated in any way with the crimes of Hitler.
The former sought to bring his country into the 20th century from behind the plow for centuries long, whereas the latter's ultimate goal was to return German society to before the Middle Ages, merely clothed in up to date technology.
I wasn't relativizing, believe me. To do so would be to disrespect, even belittle, both the heritage of Mao's China, not to mention the memory of Hitler's insane slaughter!
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