(Goro, five years old, born in Wakkana)
EARLY SUMMER
DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY, HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
People are so stupid in Japan.
They know nothing about 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, for a change of pace.
I appreciate that, Sir.
All right, I understand...
If you knew a way to loosen up,
you wouldn't have left the university.
Antarctica in May.
It’s a short rest for the dogs.
Ankle and Whitey became very close.
Mirages appear in Antarctica often.
Under Ricky and Oguma Furen's lead,
Taro and Jiro have learned how to catch seals.
Seals and Penguins have travelled far
to the frozen fields.
Winter has arrived in Antarctica.
Ricky tracked the footsteps,
and ran inland.
It was the path they had taken
on the expedition to Botsnnuten.
However, Oguma Furen likes running alone.
So he stayed at the gap.
In Antarctica, the sun does not appear
from May to July.
The whole continent becomes dark and hostile.
The Aurora Australis makes an appearance in the Antarctic sky.
It's disturbing to the dogs.
The pack stayed close together.
All of a sudden Jake got up
and ran off.
The loner, Oguma Furen,
looked up to the sky.
Jake left his pack,
he stood alone on the huge glacier.
JULY, GION FESTIVAL
DEPARTMENT OF GEOPHYSICS, KYOTO UNIVERSITY
Please come in.
I'm sorry for being late.
Are you still working?
Do we really have to go?
It'll be so crowded.
But I didn't 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?
Anyway, we should get moving.
God, hurry up and get ready.
If you don't listen to me,
I'm not gonna marry you.
It's there...
I can see it there.
The Japanese halberd is there.
It’s beautiful.
Little P, see... the Japanese halberd is here.
Look.
Little P, that’s 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
are the coldest days in the Antarctic?
Please stop that.
Didn't I tell you he doesn't like to talk about Antarctica?
Actually, that’s true.
But how do you know that?
No way.
Don't touch that.
Don't change the subject, okay?
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’s the article I read.
FEELING GUILTY ABOUT LEAVING THE HUSKIES,
SHIOTA IS TRAVELLING
TO APOLOGISE TO THE FAMILIES THAT REARED THE DOGS.
He sacrificed himself
for such a great mission, I think he died a noble death.
Although it is a pity,
I wouldn't 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'm terribly sorry.
That’s 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 won't 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!
Mak, what are you doing? Stop it.
We've decided not to raise another dog.
So please take that dog back.
Mak, it's okay now, let's go home.
All of sudden Ricky started to run wildly
Because there remained the smell of humans.
This was the storage depot of the expedition to Botsnnuten.
Some leftover meat was found.
The one who fell was Whitey, he was very close to Ankle.
(Whitey, three years old, born in Kio)
Now the mayor will say a few words.
The Karafuto dogs, who were sacrificed in honour
during the exploration of Antarctica,
were born here, in Hokkaido
and raised in this town.
Furen's Oguma, Kio's Ankle.
They were trained the same way as the others.
Hokkaido is very proud to have
these 15 puppies as friends.
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
very concerned about those 15 dogs too.
I'm sorry.
Would you let us interview you?
Please answer some questions for us.
I'm 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 on by the fact
that you left these dogs in Antarctica?
What do you mean by guilt?
Those dogs were our partners.
But what became of them at last?
You chose to abandon them
to die in such a cruel way.
What do you make of that?
You're right.
We should have killed them
with our own hands.
Goodbye.
Why aren't you talking?
Don't you have something to tell me?
Yes.
The reason 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’s that?
The reason is...
we're 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 whale carcass?
That looks like it.
I wonder which of the dogs
had ran off inside.
I reckon it would have been Jiro.
Maybe Jiro?
Would Ankle and Oguma be inside as well?
No, it would be Ricky.
Ricky?
If it was Ricky, he must have led the others there.
Yes, he must have.
- Ochi. - Yes?
Do you think they're still alive?
What do you think, Mr Shiota?
At that time,
Ricky, Taro, Jiro, and Ankle were all that remained.
The dogs were were leaving the ice inland and heading towards the glacier.
They were feeling fatigued.
The appearance of the skuas
meant that the hard winter had ended.
However, nature did not
greet these dogs warmly.
A killer whale made a surprise attack.
Ricky protected Taro and Jiro.
Taro and Jiro came back because they would not leave Ricky.
It was Ricky who showed Taro that
they could find seal carcasses near the crevice.
Ricky fought for his life.
He could not make it.
(Ricky, six years old, born in Kio)
Ankle's ice floe was floating inland.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon, Miss.
Is that the puppy you brought to my home before?
Yes.
It's grown up, what’s his name?
It's Ricky.
Ricky...
We've decided we'd like 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 dogs 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,
you can't compare Kio with Antarctica.
I think so.
It’s impossible for all of them to survive.
However,
recently I've felt that
a few of them may be able to survive.
That's what I think.
But the temperature in Antarctica gets to forty below.
Even fifty.
Karafuto dogs can withstand cold weather very well.
Ricky will probably find food on his own.
I hope so.
That's encouraging.
Up till now,
I've still been regretting that
we didn't kill the dogs.
But that would be wrong.
Because that's not the way life is supposed to be.
All lives are equal.
No one has the right to end the lives of those dogs.
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 another dog with him.
It was Ankle
who was taken inland on an ice floe.
Ankle met Oguma Furen
who stayed at the chasm.
And so he survived.
The three dogs then followed Furen
to hunt for food.
(Ankle, three years old, born in Kio)
Only three huskies remained.
(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 home.
Why are you looking worried?
AT LEAST TWELVE PEOPLE WOULD FORM
THE THIRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION TEAM
Would you go without telling me?
No.
How can I leave you again
and go to the ends of the Earth by myself?
Even if I go,
it would only make me sad.
So does that mean
that you still haven't joined the team?
Hurry... you should get to Tokyo now.
You should be able to make it if you go now.
I'll 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'm sorry.
Can we go around that mountain once more?
Captain, what did you see?
Hurry up and get to the Shiowa base.
Mr Shiota, the supplies will be shipped immediately
after investigating the base.
Can you please give this up?
Mr Shiota.
Goro.
It must be the lack of food.
Ochi.
Oguma Furen?
No, it’s Taro and Jiro!
Hey!
Taro!
Jiro!
Good boys.
Taro!
THE TEAM BROUGHT BACK SEVEN OF THE DOGS' BODIES:
GORO, BESS, MOSES, KOAKA
BLACKIE, HALL, AND CRESTIE.
SIX DOGS DISAPPEARED IN THE GLACIER:
RICKY, ANKLE, WHITEY, JAKE,
TERRY AND OGUMA FUREN.
TARO AND JIRO SURVIVED.