INTRODUCTION
The people we choose to honor, shape and inspire our future
Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) a man of and ahead of his time.
As President of the Japanese Red Cross, Prince Tokugawa took a leading role in the creation of Safe Zones that helped save the lives of tens of thousands of Jewish European refugees fleeing the Holocaust and over one-half million Chinese civilians during the years leading up to, and during, World War Two.
Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (1863-1940 – aka Prince Tokugawa Iesato) devoted his life to promoting international goodwill. Regrettably, he saw the clouds of war growing in Europe, as well as the militants in his own country pushing Japan towards conflict with China. He resisted these aggressions, but in the meanwhile, he wished to protect as many innocent lives as he could. As president of the Japanese Red Cross Society, Prince Tokugawa presided over the 1934 International Red Cross Conference in Tokyo (aka XVth International Conference of the Red Cross), where he urged the delegates to “Serve for Humanity.” It was at this gathering, where there was the first known example in history for the international creation of demilitarized Safe Zones, where civilians could find shelter, as outside warring armies fought one another.