Tsuruga is a port city in Fukui Prefecture facing the Sea of Japan. It is located where Japan’s main island narrows in the middle, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Kyoto. At the turn of the twentieth century, when the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed, Tsuruga was the gateway for the fastest route between Japan and Europe. Ships carried passengers from Russia’s easternmost city, Vladivostok, to Tsuruga, and the Europe Asia International Express was set up to run the last leg of the journey to Tokyo, making Tsuruga a very important transfer point. The city was filled with travelers, as were the shops and accommodations that served them. One little-known aspect of its history, though, is that many Jews fleeing Europe came to Tsuruga.
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