Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara

As the Consul-General of the Japanese Consulate in Kaunas (then known as Kovno), Lithuania in 1940, Chiune Sugihara became greatly disturbed by large numbers of Jewish refugees fleeing Poland.  They came to him begging for visas to enter Japan.  Against the orders of his superiors in Japan, Sugihara and his wife Yukiko spent most of August 1940 writing visas for 18-20 hours a day for the thousands of applicants waiting outside the consulate.  When the consulate closed, they were still writing visas and throwing them out of the train as they left Kaunas. 

"You want to know about my motivation, don't you? Well. It is the kind of sentiments anyone would have when he actually sees refugees face to face, begging with tears in their eyes. He just cannot help but sympathize with them. Among the refugees were the elderly and women. They were so desperate that they went so far as to kiss my shoes, Yes, I actually witnessed such scenes with my own eyes."  (Source)

In the end, they wrote and signed some 2140 visas, which allowed an estimated 6000-10,000 Jewish refugees to flee Europe.   Considering that the more famous Oskar Schindler saved 800-1200 people, the Sugiharas accomplished an outstanding feat.

Because of Chiune's language skills, the Japanese government still needed him despite this disobedience.  Following Lithuania, Sugihara was sent to Czechoslovia, East Prussia, and Romania, where he and his family were captured by the Russians as POWs for 18 months.  When he returned to Japan from the POW camp, instead of being welcomed for as a hero for his sacrifice, he was asked to resign.  Though the Japanese government denies it, the Sugihara family understood the resignation was requested for his disobedience in Lithuania.

Despite his high level of education and language skills, Chiune had a hard time finding and maintaining employment in Japan.  He ended up working in the Soviet Union for 16 years while his family stayed behind in Japan.

In 1985, Chiune Sugihara was honored in Israel as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.   

More information:
PBS:  "Sugihara:  Conspiracy of Kindness"
Visas for Life Foundation
The Sugihara Project