Amish Encounters No.2 – Japan, Justice

Clearly, we are not the only people interested in the Amish. Today’s Sunday Lancaster Times runs a front page article For the love of the Amish: Japanese can’t get enough of the Plain-sect culture – August 9 by Jon Rutter.

Apart from the 1984 film ‘The Witness’ the article elaborates other reasons for this Japanese interest, and quotes Amish expert Donald Kraybill,

Japanese affinity for the Amish stems from deep parallel currents in the two outwardly disparate societies.

Both espouse collectivism, religious faith, hard work and frugality, he pointed out. Both exhibit marked deference to elders and have deliberately distanced themselves from the outside world.

The Japanese industrialized rapidly after World War II. But they’ve struck an uneasy truce with modernity.

As their youth absorb Western individualist ways and traditional values further erode, the people look more keenly to the Amish as exemplars.

Restorative justice as practised by the Amish is also of interest to the Japanese. The pacifism and non-violence of the Amish led them this way. This became widely known following the Amish community’s forgiveness of the murderer of five Amish school girls at Nickel Mines in 2006.

I am particularly interested after discussing this recently with the prefects and senior staff at St Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart who are implementing restorative justice.

As the Amish do not receive newspapers, radio and TV, the article points out that, ‘the Amish remain largely unaware of Japanese adulation.’

An accompanying story Curiosity brings Japanese visitors to county on page 4 is also by Jon Rutter.

We had a marvellous Sunday worshipping with Amish Mennonites and then visiting for lunch with a most gracious and warm family. Just wonderful! More later.