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The Iowa Hog Lift was a 1960 rescue effort by the agriculture sector in the U.S. State of Iowa following significant damage resulting from typhoons in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. It is widely accepted that the hog lift was largely responsible for the development of the sister-state relationship between Iowa and Yamanashi〔http://www.pref.yamanashi.jp/english/sistercity/index.html〕 and marked the beginning of currently strong relations in agriculture between Japan and the United States.〔http://www.grains.org/50th-anniversary-story-series/88-issue-1-how-iowa-hogs-helped-make-japan-us-farmers-top-export-market-for-us-feed-grains〕 ==Hog Lift== In 1959, Yamanashi Prefecture in central Japan suffered two significant typhoons in less than a month, devastating much of the prefecture’s agriculture sector. Master Sergeant Richard Thomas, who was from Iowa, was working in public relations for the U.S. Air Force in Tokyo at the time. When Thomas heard about the heavy damage to the livestock industry in Yamanashi prefecture, he considered arranging Iowa hogs to be sent to Yamanashi as an opportunity to help revive the devastated industry. He presented his plan to Don Motz, the U.S. agricultural attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, who was excited about the project and began working on its logistics.〔http://www.partners-in-agriculture.org/the_bell_of_peace_02.html〕 The idea of a “hog lift” received enthusiastic support from multiple parties in the U.S. agriculture sector including the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), key representatives of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the Japanese agriculture attaché in Washington D.C. As a result, Iowa farmers donated 36 lean meat hogs rounded up by the Iowa Corn Growers’ Association, and the U.S. Air Force agreed to supply a plane to fly the hogs to Japan. The animals were shipped on a cargo plane fitted with special crates and attended to by representatives from the Iowa Corn Growers’ Association. The journey took a total of three days and involved multiple stops. At each stop, the hogs were bathed as to not overheat during the journey.〔http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/Japan/JA8521GrainHistory110508.pdf〕 With the loss of one animal along the way, 35 hogs arrived safely in Yamanashi, and eventually populated the prefecture with their descendants. Within three years, the 35 hogs had multiplied to more than 500 〔http://www.porkmag.com/news_editorial.asp?pgID=675&ed_id=9135〕 thereby restarting the hog industry devastated by the typhoons. Today, most of the pork that is raised in Japan has a genetic connection to Iowa as a result of the 1960 hog lift. Yamanashi prefecture has since repaid the kindness of the hog lift. In 1962 the people of Yamanashi sent Iowa a “Bell of Friendship” and a bell house which currently sits south of the State Capitol building in Des Moines.〔http://partners-in-agriculture.org/the_bell_of_peace.html〕 Furthermore, when Iowa suffered from the Great Flood of 1993, Yamanashi prefecture sent $300,000 in flood aid relief.〔http://www.grains.org/news-events/2295-50-year-anniversary-of-a-global-relationship-〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Iowa Hog Lift」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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