The name Alex Kerr is well known in many contexts, as he is a person of many parts. He is a scholar, linguist, specialist and prize winner, accomplished in diverse fields.
The heart of the man Alex Kerr may be illuminated by the sentiments he felt when he was still in his teens. In his book "Lost Japan" he wrote: "When I think back on the natural beauty of Japan at that time (1971) it brings tears to my eyes. With its abundant 'rainforest' vegetation, volcanic mountains with delicate leafage of its native flora, Japan was perhaps one of the most beautiful countries in the world. . . . This environment is now a thing of the past, but . . . I doubt that the lost beauty of Japan's mountains and forests will ever fade from my memory."
Alex first came to Japan in 1964 when his father, an American naval officer, was posted to Yokohama. As a 12-year-old, Alex explored his neighborhood, then farther afield in daylong trips on his own. He loved many aspects of Japan and especially its houses. The family returned to the States in 1966. After high school, Alex entered the Japanese studies program at Yale University. During the summer vacation of 1971, he came to Japan and hitchhiked from Hokkaido to Kyushu. In Shikoku he found the Iya Valley, which he later made the object of his senior thesis. An exchange student, he spent the academic year 1972-73 at Keio University. Often he returned to Iya. In January '73, he found what he was seeking: an abandoned traditional-style house that he determined to buy and care for. Local children helped him choose the name Chiiori (House of the Flute).