Austin Moore beautifies Japan (starting with his own house)
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Posted by Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-90)
The January 2013 edition of the “JET Plaza” section of CLAIR Forum magazine included an article by Austin Moore, who came to Japan in 1984 on the Monbusho English Fellow (MEF) program, a forerunner of the JET Program. In it, he mentioned his work to restore a 145-year-old house in Hino, Shiga Prefecture, which led the owners of several other old houses in the neighborhood to spruce up their buildings as well.
Now, the Wall Street Journal has taken notice. According to an article this month by Yuka Hayashi, “Mr. Moore has established himself as a key member of the community, serving on its preservation society and helping promote tourism. Following his renovation, three families have moved into the abandoned houses and others have reintroduced traditional features to their homes… ‘Mr. Moore came from the outside and saw the beauty of Hino and its old homes that the locals had grown blind to,’ said Ryojun Manda, director of the local history museum. ‘He showed us how to breathe life back into old houses and make them shine again.'”
You can read the full article HERE and view a gorgeous photo essay about the house HERE.
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