Back in June I posted on Japanese interest in the Amish and included some comments and photos from Donald Kraybill, fresh from a lecture tour of the island nation. Since that time, Stephen Scott, also of the Young Center, has visited Japan to share knowledge on America’s best-known Plain People.
In this article from today’s Lancaster Sunday News (no longer online) Kraybill and Scott share some more juicy details of their trips–on monsoons and fish breakfasts, for example–while explaining why this could be Japan’s ‘Summer of the Amish’.
Japanese have had a long-running interest in the Amish and the two societies, despite obvious differences, actually share much in common, including a relative lack of crime and emphasis on community.
In an accompanying article, Brad Igou details his experience with both Amish and Japanese (no longer online), gained through running a Lancaster Amish-themed tourist outlet and while teaching for eight years in Japan. Igou says Japanese visitors are common. “We’ve had film crews here from Japanese TV shows more often than I can count.”
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4 responses to The Amish and Japan revisited
This topic is of such interest to me. I think I commented on it last time you posted on Japan/Amish as well. As someone who has lived with the Amish in the past, and is married to a Japanese, it is really quite an important relationship to me. Even in my work and career as an artist, what I do is based on the similarity adn my personal relationship of the two places. Fascinating to read about it here, even in brief blog form. Thanks for paying some attention to the subject.
Oh, if you are interested, my site is www.richardheisler.com you can see some of my work based on Japan and the Amish communities there. I would welcome any discussion on the topic.
The Amish and Japan revisited
Glad to hear it Richard, and nice site by the way!
Thanks very much! Can you give me a way to contact you directly? I would be interested in some more discussion about this topic and possibly getting some more information from you on some things you mentioned here.
Sure Richard–just click the email link above left.
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