End-of-Life Guardians

NHK WORLD PRIME • Season 7 • Episode 5

About this episode

Bunpuku is a dog like no other who lives in a nursing home for the elderly in Kanagawa Prefecture. Whenever an elderly resident is in their last days of life, he licks their face and leans up against them. Owing to this behavior, Bunpuku is known as the mitori-inu, which literally translates to "dog who is present at one's deathbed." However, Bunpuku is not the only pooch at the home, as residents are allowed to bring their beloved dogs with them when they move in. The hounds provide company for people in the autumn of their lives. The relationship between the dogs and the elderly here is based on mutual affection, as we can see in this selection of footage filmed over a period of six months.