He was an international communist spy. In May 1933, the organization decided to send him to Japan to establish a secret espionage network. On the surface, he was a correspondent for the German newspaper Frankfurter Zeitung in Tokyo, Japan, enjoying great prestige. In reality, he was living life on the edge. To cover his identity, many women of various kinds surrounded the elegant and refined him, but he clearly knew that emotions could jeopardize his work. Amid songs and dances, he steadfastly adhered to his professional boundaries.
For a long time, he often dined at the Golden Rhine Hotel, and it was there that he met her—a waitress at a bar. She was 27, slender, elegant, and especially attentive to him. Initially, he was very cautious, but gradually, he realized that the woman in front of him genuinely cared for him. Perhaps the highly tense life of a spy made him seek solace in a romantic relationship, or perhaps his intelligence led him to truly believe in this woman. During that period, it seemed as if he had genuinely fallen in love. The two often went on dates and frequently visited parks and restaurants together. Under the cover of this relationship, his work proceeded smoothly, and he frequently obtained valuable intelligence.
Soon, he arranged for her to work in his office. With the nourishment of love, they coordinated seamlessly and lived a comfortable and happy life. Despite their intimacy, he always concealed his true identity from her. She, sensitive as she was, noticed everything. But since he didn't speak, she didn't ask either. She simply took care of his well-being quietly, embracing him with the softness of a woman's heart as he rushed tirelessly about his duties. Even when she personally witnessed him occasionally getting close with other women due to work needs, she responded with the utmost tolerance, comforting herself: he was so extraordinary that it was normal for other women to be around him. She loved him, to a level of such humble devotion.
In 1941, due to the successive arrests of organization members, he quickly attracted the suspicion of the Japanese military police and the Tokkō (special higher police). Because of his special identity, Japanese agents could only arrest and interrogate her. Faced with brutal torture, she repeatedly risked her life to assert his innocence. Upon learning of her capture, he risked his life to actively rescue her, ultimately resulting in her release, battered and bruised. To ensure her safety, he called her for a talk.
He said, "I may die unexpectedly; you should get married.""She stepped forward and covered his mouth, eyes full of tears: 'Don't say that. If that's the case, I'd rather die.' After his repeated pleas, finally, afraid of becoming a burden, she agreed to temporarily leave his side, but she firmly said: 'I will wait for you, always!'
This was the last time they saw each other; after that, she never saw him again. Soon, due to the exposure of the spy network, he was arrested by the Japanese police and imprisoned in Sugamo Prison. At that time, she was completely unaware of everything that had happened to him and still continued to inquire about his news everywhere. It was not until May 1942 that she finally saw the news of his arrest in the newspaper and completely learned everything about him. She bore him no resentment for hiding the truth from her; instead, she was grateful for his protection. She patiently waited for the day he would be released.
On November 7, 1944, he was secretly executed by hanging in Tokyo at the age of 49. A few months later, she finally waited for the day Japan surrendered, and hurried to the prison to find him, but she did not see a trace of him. Refusing to give up, she searched again, and a prisoner, unable to sympathize with her heartache, told her that he had already been executed a year ago...
Her hope was shattered, and her pain reached the extreme, yet in the end, she still resolutely told herself: since he was dead, if she couldn't find him, she must at least find his remains. Afterwards, she first found his defense lawyer, but the lawyer knew nothing. Undeterred, she returned to the prison to check the prison registry. After much effort, she finally found his name, but still couldn't figure out where he had been buried. Finally, someone suggested she look in the nameless cemetery, because each grave there had a wooden marker indicating the date of burial of the deceased. She arrived there with a glimmer of hope, but the markers had long since disappeared, and she found nothing.
She did not lose heart and continued her search. In her lonely and helpless situation, she spent four years and only in October 1949 did she finally find his remains. Opening the urn, she saw a gold dental crown, the last remnant from his cremation. She was overjoyed as if she had found the greatest treasure, pressing the dental crown tightly to her chest. Later, she made the crown into a ring and wore it on her middle finger, never taking it off day or night. She felt he was by her side, and the ring symbolized their engagement gift. She felt like the most beautiful and happiest bride."Afterwards, she gave everything she had to move his remains to the Tama Cemetery in Tokyo, and engraved his name on a granite headstone.
This devoted woman never married for her entire life. Her room was filled with his belongings, and a large photo of him smiling affectionately hung on the wall. She personally sculpted his statue, which kept her company day and night. Every few days, she would visit his grave, place a bouquet of fresh flowers on the tombstone, and murmur to him, as if he were standing right in front of her, never having left. In 2000, this woman who had guarded him all her life passed away and was buried with him.
In the history of world espionage, he is praised as the "most courageous and perfect spy." People often admire his extraordinary courage and intelligence but often forget that during those perilous days, his love was also a forever bright color in that cruel era. He was Richard Sorge, and we should also remember the name of the woman who remained devoted to him until the end—his lover, Hanako Ishii.
