🗺️ Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum人道の港 敦賀ムゼウム

From the Meiji period to the early Showa era, through the Trans-Siberian Railway combined with shipping, Tsuruga Port developed into an international port connecting Japan and Europe. In the 1920s, Polish orphans who lost their families during the turmoil of the Russian Revolution received "rescue visas" issued by Chiune Sugihara in 1940, saving Jewish refugees and bringing them to Japan. The Tsuruga Museum conveys the importance of life and the preciousness of peace, which is also the mission of Tsuruga Port as a "humanitarian port." Based on historical facts, along with the oral histories and experiences of Tsuruga citizens at the time, it introduces the history of orphans and refugees entering Japan, as well as the stories of those who extended a helping hand to the refugees and the acceptance of refugees by the residents of Tsuruga. In 2020, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Polish orphans' arrival and the 80th anniversary of the issuance of rescue visas, the museum was renovated and reopened, showcasing even richer content. Four buildings, including the station and customs inspection office that actually existed at Tsuruga Port during the Taisho to early Showa period, were reconstructed on their original sites. The layout is designed to allow visitors to truly feel the atmosphere of Tsuruga Port at that time. Inside the museum, there are permanent exhibitions presented in an easy-to-understand manner through theaters and screens, as well as special exhibitions held periodically.

There are coin-operated lockers and accessible restrooms. The free area provides an overview of the exhibition and the history of Tsuruga Port. Photography is prohibited inside the facility.