Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1115/

Yoshitaro Amano who Liked History (Japanese)

(Japanese)In 1911, the scholar Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu, and since then it has become quite famous. When Amano went there in ’27 or ’28, though, it was still really tiny, without any roads or hotels. He stayed in a little hotel run by a Japanese and went to the top from there. At that time, it took him 4 days or so to see it all, walking with no paths, using Incan roads. It wasn’t developed at all; there weren’t any tourist routes. He went at a time like that.

Amano had always liked history, since the time he lived in Japan. He loved Chinese classical literature and had it all memorized by heart. So, he would have conversations with Chinese. He couldn’t do so by speaking, but he would write things down, and the meaning would get across completely. He made friends doing that.


Yoshitaro Amano

Date: April 18, 2007

Location: Lima, Peru

Interviewer: Ann Kaneko

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Miyoko Amano (nee: Watanabe) is a Nikkei Nisei born in Lima, Peru. In 1954, she married Yoshitaro Amano, a businessman and a researcher of the Andes Civilization. Taking over the vision of her late husband, she is currently the President of Amano Museum—established from the Yoshitaro’s private collection of artifacts—renowned for its extensive research into the Cancay Culture. (October 2009)

Sakane,Hiroshi

How Yoshitaro Amano got to South America (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

Yoshitaro Amano continues his efforts in business in order to pursue his studies (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

On returning to post-war Peru (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

Returning to Japan on a prisoner-of-war exchange boat (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

Yoshitaro Amano chose the Chancay culture (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

The find of the century: Chicras (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Schneider,Jean Hamako

My father who returned by prisoner of war exchange ship (Japanese)

(b. 1925) War bride