Hog Lift Diplomacy Initiates 
Healing, Cooperation & Trade 

Harold Hughes
Iowa Governor 1963-1969
U.S. Senator 1969-1975

     
     Iowa Governor Harold Hughes, a WW II veteran, visited Japan in 1965. 
     "After we landed in Tokyo, I left ... for the two hour train ride to Kofu. Arriving at the station, I found myself amid a sea of little children waving American and Japanese flags. Some five thousand people were there for a tumultuous welcome.
     "I toured the farms, including the hog barns which are enhanced with fresh flowers in vases every day. 'For the benefit of the hogs,' said my Japanese guide. When he pointed to thousands of swine and said, 'From Iowa,' I remembered the Japanese friendship bell recently installed on our Statehouse grounds and thought how some twenty-odd years before we were deadly enemies. I glanced at my guide and estimated him to be my age. If I had been sent to the South Pacific, we could have killed each other."
                                                         ~Harold Hughes 
                                             The Man From Ida Grove 
                         (Lincoln, VA: Chosen Books): 218-219

Dr. Kenneth Quinn
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia

 
    "Overcoming the legacy of bitter post-war feelings has been a long and very difficult process in both countries. Citizen exchanges have, in my opinion, contributed significantly to this effort. I saw this during our visit to Yamanashi [in April 2010] when our group took part in a traditional celebration which commemorated a historic event from medieval times. We Iowans joined in the parade dressed like samurai warriors. As we marched through town the crowds along the parade route cheered and waved at us and we waved back. The friendliness was as genuine as it was palpable. One of our group remarked, 'It looks like the war is finally over.' I believe that the exchanges between Iowa and Yamanashi dating back to the hog lift have been part of that process of draining the poison of post-war bitterness from both countries."
                  ~Dr. Kenneth Quinn, E-mail to author
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Photo: Courtesy Christie Vilsack (pictured in center).

Governor Shomei Yokouchi

Yamanashi, Japan

Governor Yokouchi believes maintaining a relationship with Iowa is important to "develop a global mindset in students...[and] to open up Yamanashi to the world by increasing the population engaged in International Exchange.
     "Throughout the years of exchange, we see achievements in different fields including:
  • International exchange at local governments -- there are currently seven sister cities between Iowa and Japan.
  • Agriculture -- Interns from Yamanashi were sent to Iowa to study agriculture and a new breeding program of hogs was developed.
  • Educational Exchange -- Youths of Iowa and Yamanashi have engaged in various friendship exchange activities including short term homestays; students from Iowa are offered a one-year exchange program to study in Yamanashi.
  • Cultural exchange--art work and music.
  • Sports Exchange--friendship soccer and baseball games have been held between youths of Yamanashi and Iowa."
              ~Gov. Shomei Yokouchi, e-mail to author
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Gov. Yokouchi with his translator at the 2011 Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Photo: Rebekah Frese
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Yamanashi band members aboard the Sister States float in the 2011 Iowa State Fair Parade. Photo: Rebekah Frese Collection.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack

Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Hog Lift in 2010 Secretary Vilsack observed:
 
    "That relationship which started here in Yamanashi ... led to the formulation of the U.S. Grains Council and an extensive amount of trade between the two countries over the last 50 years."
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Trees planted in Japan mark the 50th Anniversary of the Hog Lift, the product of Richard Thomas' idea to restore Yamanashi agriculture following a devastating typhoon. Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Secretary Vilsack (center, left) and Governor Yokouchi (center, right) Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Legacy of an Unsung Hero

Richard Thomas was not looking for accolades—he was looking for a solution to a problem and the lasting impact of his actions outlived his moment of fame.