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Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain
Dog Man An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain Author:Martha Sherrill How one man's consuming passion for dogs saved a legendary breed from extinction and led him to a difficult, more soulful way of life in the wilds of Japan's remote snow country As Dog Man opens, Martha Sherrill brings us to a world that Americans know very little about-the snow country of Japan during World War II. In a mountain ... more »village, we meet Morie Sawataishi, a fierce individualist who has chosen to break the law by keeping an Akita dog hidden in a shed on his property. During the war, the magnificent and intensely loyal Japanese hunting dogs are donated to help the war effort, eaten, or used to make fur vests for the military. By the time of the Japanese surrender in 1945, there are only sixteen Akitas left in the country. The survival of the breed becomes Morie's passion and life, almost a spiritual calling. Devoted to the dogs, Morie is forever changed. His life becomes radically unconventional-almost preposterous-in ultra-ambitious, conformist Japan. For the dogs, Morie passes up promotions, bigger houses, and prestigious engineering jobs in Tokyo. Instead, he raises a family with his young wife, Kitako-a sheltered urban sophisticate-in Japan's remote and forbidding snow country. Their village is isolated, but interesting characters are always dropping by-dog buddies, in-laws from Tokyo, and a barefoot hunter who lives in the wild. Due in part to Morie's perseverance and passion, the Akita breed strengthens and becomes wildly popular, sometimes selling for millions of yen. Yet Morie won't sell his spectacular dogs. He only likes to give them away. Morie and Kitako remain in the snow country today, living in the traditional Japanese cottage they designed together more than thirty years ago-with tatami mats, an overhanging roof, a deep bathtub, and no central heat. At ninety-four years old, Morie still raises and trains the Akita dogs that have come to symbolize his life. In beautiful prose that is a joy to read, Martha Sherrill opens up the world of the Dog Man and his wife, providing a profound look at what it is to be an individualist in a culture that reveres conformity-and what it means to live life in one's own way, while expertly revealing Japan and Japanese culture as we've never seen it before.« less
What a splendid read! I learned a lot about Japan and the ways of life since WWII. A beautiful personal tale that doesn't pull its punches, including domestic difficulties and bad deals. Lots of dog lore and lots of pix!
Unabridged audio (6.5 hrs) narrated by Laurel Merlington
Thoroughly enjoyable! A true story, not sentimentalized by the author or the narrator, is still deeply touching. Morie Sawataishi, the Japanese "dog man," was born the same year as my parents, and I tried to view the events of his life through their perspective. I learned a lot about Japan in the early and mid-20th century, Without this man's courage and perseverance, one dog at a time, the Akita breed would probably no longer exist.
Samantha S. (tokuguay) reviewed Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain on
Loved this book. As an akita breeder, it was a very interesting read. Loved it so much I'm currently trying to acquire it here on this site once I get another credit in! Definitely recommend that you read it at least one if you're an animal or Japan lover!
This was a fascinating book about a man who was always true to himself even if that meant his already difficult life got even harder. I learned a lot about Japanese culture. Morie loved dogs and knew what he wanted in a good dog. He never followed show ring trends or fads but held fast to his own integrity and what he knew the Akita breed should be. I found it interesting that the struggles he faced in dog breeding all those decades remain the same for conscientious breeders today. Does one breed for modern society, in other words, a more laid-back, docile dog who lacks spirit but fits into suburban life? Or does one breed to keep the essence of the breed true to it's roots, which means a dog who may have temperament or aggression issues, in our restricted, confined world? And all through Morie's story is his faithful wife, Kitako. She was a city girl living in the snow country of Japan. She left her live of luxury for one of hard work and struggle. She and Morie disagreed on many things and argued a lot. But she stuck with him and in the end was glad she had. This is a book not only about life in Japan post WWII, not only about breeding and showing dogs, but about marriage and relationships...life's ups and downs. It is honest and open and you will enjoy it.
Rosemary F. (canadianeh) reviewed Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain on + 242 more book reviews 
