🌸 About this video

Welcome to my Japanese listening series for upper beginners!

In this episode, you’ll learn about Chiune Sugihara (杉原千畝) – the Japanese diplomat often called “Japan’s Schindler” – who helped thousands of Jewish refugees escape during World War II by issuing life-saving transit visas.

The story is told in simple Japanese (Upper Beginner / JLPT N4 level) with clear narration, so you can practice listening while learning about an important part of history.

This video is perfect for:

・Upper beginner learners (around JLPT N4)

・Learners who enjoy story-based Japanese

・People interested in Japanese history and real heroes

・Anyone who wants to build listening skills with meaningful content

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📚 Level

Upper Beginner (JLPT N4)

Clear and natural narration using N4-level grammar.

Some vocabulary is more advanced, but the story is told slowly and clearly for learners.

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🕒 Chapters

00:00 Opening (オープニング)

00:03 Introduction (イントロダクション)

00:51 Childhood in Gifu（子どものころ）

01:41 Languages and Diplomatic Career（外国語と外交官の道）

02:48 Lithuania and Refugees（リトアニアと難民）

07:39 Life-Saving Visas and Difficult Choices（命のビザと杉原さんの決断）

10:13 Life after the War（戦後のつらい生活）

11:22 “Thank You” – Meeting the Survivors（ありがとうと言われた日）

13:03 Question Time (しつもんの時間)

13:09 Question Time Part 1 (しつもん①～⑧)

16:14 Question Time Part 2 (しつもん⑨～⑯)

19:11 Replay Guide (How to Listen / 聞き方の説明)

19:18 Listen Again Without Subtitles (字幕なしでもう一度ストーリーを聞こう)

31:40 Ending (エンディング)

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💡 Learning Tips

✔️ First, watch with subtitles and focus on the story and emotions.

✔️ Then, listen again without subtitles to test your listening.

✔️ Pause after each question and answer out loud.

✔️ Try shadowing short sentences, especially the important lines from Sugihara’s words.

✔️ Think about the message of the story: What does “doing the right thing” mean to you?

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📄 Study Materials

The full script (with/without furigana) and the vocabulary list are available as a paid study PDF on Ko-fi.

👉 https://ko-fi.com/s/6d65ee8ce9

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☕ Support My Channel

If you enjoy my content, consider supporting me on Ko-fi.

Your support helps me continue creating high-quality Japanese learning materials 💖

👉 https://ko-fi.com/megsmile

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🏯 About Meg

I am a certified Administrative Scrivener (immigration lawyer) in Japan

and a Japanese teacher who creates storytelling-based learning materials for beginners.

Immigration services (visa support):

👉 https://www.trust-gyosei.com/immigration-en/

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Note:

Some images and scenes in this episode are AI-generated or conceptual illustrations created for learning purposes.

They are designed to help learners understand the story and are not historical photographs.

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🎵 Images, Videos & Music Credits

CANVA: https://www.canva.com/

MotionElements: https://www.motionelements.com/

Adobe Stock: https://stock.adobe.com/jp/

Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

BGMer: http://bgmer.net

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