(Goro, five years old, was born in Wakkanai)
(Early Summer)
(Department of Geology, Hokkaido University)
People are so stupid in Japan.
They know nothing about the Antarctica and the dogs
but they still talk like that.
Saying things like 'What a pity.'
How tedious.
And you...
You shouldn't have given into such foolish whining.
What are you going to do now you've quit this job?
I haven't decided yet.
Do you want to go to Australia?
It's just...
It's the Geology department in Melbourne.
You can go there for a couple of years, to freshen up.
I appreciate that, Sir.
Alright, I understand...
If you knew a way to loosen up,
you wouldn't have left the university.
Antarctica in May.
It is a short rest for the dogs.
Ankie and Whitey became very close.
Mirage appears in Antarctica all the time.
Under Ricky and Oguma Furen's supervision,
Taro and Jiro have learned how to catch seals.
Seals and Penguins have gone far
to the frozen ice field.
Winter has arrived in Antarctica.
Ricky traced the footsteps of the human,
and ran towards the inland.
That was the path they took
on the expedition to Botsnnuten.
However, Oguma Furen likes to be left alone.
So he stayed at the gap.
In Antarctica, the sun does not appear
from May to July.
The whole Antarctica becomes dark and hellish.
Aurora takes over the sky in Antarctica.
The dogs are afraid of the aurora.
They stayed very close to each other.
All of the sudden Jake stood up
and ran off like mad.
The loner, Oguma Furen,
looked up to the sky.
Jake left his friends,
he stood alone on the huge glacier.
(July, Gion Festival)
(Department of Geophysis, Kyoto University)
Please come in.
I am sorry for being late.
Are you still working?
Do we really have to go?
It will be so crowded.
But I did not go last year.
Was that my fault?
You think it wasn't?
You ran off to the end of the world.
Was that not your fault?
Anyways, we should get moving.
Gosh, hurry up and get ready.
If you don't listen to me,
I am not gonna marry you.
It's there...
I can see it there.
The Japanese halberd is there.
It is beautiful.
Little P, see... the Japanese halberd is here.
Look.
Little P, that is the Japanese halberd.
See? Go have a look...
You look like a dog lover.
Because dogs know a dog lover when they see one.
Little P, right?
Let's go.
What's wrong?
Hey.
Is it true, Sir?
What?
The hottest days in Japan
would be the coldest days in Antarctica.
Boss, please stop it.
Didn't I tell you the guy don't like to talk about Antarctica?
Actually that is the truth.
But how do you know that?
No way.
Don't touch that.
Boss, please don't change the subject.
How did you find out?
Oh no.
It's very hot now,
But people claim that it's winter in the South.
I just don't understand that.
Yeah this is it.
It's all this book's fault.
That is the article I read.
(Feeling guilty about leaving the huskies)
(Member of the observatory team, Shiota, is traveling)
(to apologize to the families that provided the dogs.)
He sacrificed himself
for such a great mission, I think he died a good death.
Although it is a pity,
but I would not blame anyone for it.
Thank you for making this trip.
I should go.
Thank you for coming.
Please accept this.
Please take care of it.
By the way...
I want to ask you something and I hope you can be honest.
Please go ahead.
When you last saw Ricky,
what was he doing?
Ricky belonged to me and my sister.
My sister is not here at the moment.
I think when she gets back, she would ask me for sure.
Ricky and the rest of the dogs
were chained together.
Chained?
I am terribly sorry.
That is Ricky's grave, my sister made it.
I don't want any other dog.
Ricky won't come back even if you gave me another puppy.
I will not accept other dogs.
Why did you leave Ricky and come back by yourself?
Why didn't you bring him back with you?
I hate you.
Hate you...
Give me back Ricky.
Maki, what are you doing? Stop it.
We have decided not to raise another dog.
So please take that dog back.
Maki, it is okay now, let's go home.
All of the sudden Ricky started to run wildly
Because there remained the smell of humans.
That was the storage place of the expedition to Botsnnuten.
Some leftover seal meat was found.
The one who fell is Whitey, he was very close to Ankie.
(Whitey, three years old, was born in Kio)
Now the mayor will give his words.
The Karafuto dogs, who were sacrificed in honor
during the exploration in Antarctica,
was born here, in Hokkaido.
Then they were raised in this town.
Furen's Oguma, Kio's Ankie.
They were trained the same way as the others.
Hokkaido is very proud to have
They are not only the pride of Hokkaido,
they are the pride of Japan.
We are now doing this for our friends...
Mr. Shiota.
The Europeans are
I'm sorry.
Would you let us interview you?
Please answer some questions for us.
I am sorry.
Mr. Shiota, since you quit your job at the university,
you have been giving speeches about the dogs, right?
Is that because of the guilt brought by the fact
that you left these dogs in Antarctica?
What do you mean by guilt?
The dogs were our partners.
But what became of them at last?
You chose to abandon them.
And that is such a cruel way to die.
What do you make of that?
You are right.
We should have killed them
with our own hands at that moment.
Goodbye.
Why are you not talking?
Don't you have something to tell me?
Yes.
The reason why I came to Hokkaido
is because there is something
I have to tell you in person.
However, I changed my mind
when I just saw you.
Why is that?
The reason is...
we turn out to be the same.
Feeling regret for something we did,
or trying to pretend not to care.
Feeling regret for something we did?
Does it sound familiar?
Does it?
Remember?
When we were on our way to Botsnnuten.
Yes?
You don't remember?
Is it a corpse of a whale?
That looks like it.
I wonder which of the dogs
had ran off to inside.
It reckon it would have been Jiro.
Maybe Jiro?
Would Ankie and Oguma be inside as well?
No, it should be Ricky.
Ricky?
If it was Ricky, he must have led his friends there.
Yes, he must.
Ochi. Yes.
Do you think they are still alive?
What do you think, Mr. Shiota?
At that time,
Ricky, Taro, Jiro, and Ankie were all that were left.
The dogs were back from the inland and heading towards the glacier.
They were feeling fatigued.
The appearance of the skuas
meant that the cruel winter had ended.
However, nature did not
greet these dogs warmly.
A killer whale made a surprised attack.
Ricky boldly protected Taro and Jiro.
Taro and Jiro came back because they were worried about Ricky.
It was Ricky who told Taro that
they could find Seal corpses near the crack.
Ricky fought for his life.
Unfortunately, he can't make it anymore...
(Ricky, six years old, was born in Kio)
Ankie's ice block was floating toward the inland.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon, Miss.
Is that the puppy you brought to my home before?
Yes.
It has grown, what is his name?
It's Ricky.
Ricky...
We have decided to raise another dog.
Is that so?
Ricky must be thrilled.
Ricky... wait for me, Ricky.
Ricky.
Ricky was raised on Kio island.
Once winter gets there,
the dog would be left on the island.
But people will come back for the winter.
The dogs would have to go and find food for themselves.
They would survive.
Therefore Ricky must be surviving on his own also.
Because he is a diligent dog.
Even if he can survive on Kio by himself,
but you can't compare Antarctica with Kio
I think so.
It is impossible for all of them to survive.
However,
Recently I have felt that
few of them should be able to survive.
That's what I think.
But Karafuto dogs can withstand cold weather very well.
Ricky will probably find food on his own.
I hope so.
That's great.
Up to now,
I'm still regretting that
we did not kill the dogs.
But that would be wrong.
Because that is not the way life is supposed to be.
All lives are equal.
No one has the right to end their lives.
It took me such a long time
to understand that.
Springtime arrived in Antarctica.
For Taro and Jiro, who grew up in Antarctica,
the base is their home.
Oguma Furen brought a dog with him.
It was Ankie
who was taken to the inland on an ice block.
Ankie met Oguma Furen
who stayed at the chasm.
That is the reason why he survived.
The three dogs then followed Furen
to hunt for food.
(Ankie, three years old, born in Kio)
Only three huskies were left.
(Oguma Furen, five years old, born in Furen)
Oguma Furen once again disappeared to the other side of the island.
Taro and Jiro couldn't bear
to leave the base, their hometown.
Why are you looking worried?
(At least twelve people would form)
(the third Antarctica expedition team)
Would you go without telling me?
No.
How can I leave you again
and go to the end of the earth by myself.
Even if I go,
it would only make me sad.
So does it mean that
you still haven't joined the team, right?
Hurry... you should get to Tokyo now.
You should be able to make it if you go now.
I will wait for you.
You should go to Antarctica and see for yourself.
Then you can decide to choose me,
or leave me.
Please stay around, Mr. Shiota.
(Jake, four years old, born in Kio)
Ochi, that's Jake.
I am sorry.
Can we go around that mountain once more?
Captain, what did you see?
Hurry up and get to the Showa base.
Mr. Shiota, the supplies will be shipped immediately
after investigating the base.
Can you please give up?
Mr. Shiota.
Goro.
It must be the lack of food.
Ochi.
Oguma Furen.
No, it is Taro and Jiro.
Hey!
Taro.
Jiro.
Good boys.
Taro.
(The team brought back 7 of the dog corpses.)
(Goro, Bess, Moses, Koaka)
(Blacky, Ha, Crestie)
(Six dogs disappeared in the glacier)
(Ricky, Ankie, Whitey, Jake)
(Terry, Oguma Furen)
(And Taro and Jiro survived)