Riding in the back of a mini truck to visit the fields or cooling off in the river—Mutsu (one-year-old male), who lives in Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture, enjoys a life surrounded by abundant nature. His owners, Masayuki Ueda and his wife, Chisato, actively share Mutsu’s experiences on social media. Their posts have garnered many reactions, with people commenting, “It’s so soothing.”
“Let’s go, Mutsu and Lucy!” At the end of last month, when visiting the couple’s home, Chisato’s grandfather, Kanekichi Kodama (87), was just about to lift the Akita dog Mutsu and a Chiweenie Lucy (three-year-old female), a Chihuahua-Dachshund mix, into the back of the mini truck. They were heading to Kodama’s vegetable field, a playground for the two dogs.
Kanekichi sat in the driver’s seat while his wife Kimi (82) took the passenger seat. With the two dogs and the elderly couple on board, the mini truck slowly started moving. Masayuki captured the departure scene from above using a drone. “This is our usual routine,” he said.
When they arrived at the field, Kanekichi helped Mutsu down from the truck bed, and Mutsu immediately dashed into the shade of a tree. It was a day so humid that just stepping outside made you break into a sweat. Kanekichi sat down next to Mutsu and talked to him, “It’s hot, isn’t it?”
There is a workshed along the side of the field. Chisato, who had arrived before, and Kimi set out chairs and plastic crates for everyone to sit on. Inside the shed, it felt cooler as it provided shade from the sun. Holding Lucy on her lap, Kimi smiled and said, “Both dogs are just so cute.”
Seeking further relief from the heat, they decided to head to Mutsu’s favorite river. Mutsu, not wanting to walk at all due to the heat, was driven a few hundred meters to the river by the mini truck. They pushed through grass as tall as a person’s knee and reached the river’s shallow area.
Without hesitation, Mutsu waded into the water, submerging his face and shaking off the water with a big splash. Moving about stylishly, he looked like the lord of this place, and each scene was picture-perfect.
Holding the leash, Chisato filmed Mutsu’s play in the river with her smartphone from a shorter distance, while Masayuki captured it from above with a drone. That day, the video was featured in an Instagram post with the comment, “A VIP ride to the river.”
In January of last year, 2023, Masayuki and Chisato moved into Chisato’s family home in Kazuno City. Surrounded by the natural environment they both cherished, Chisato, who had always loved Akita dogs, began a heartfelt search for a candidate dog through her connections.
When they visited a kennel in Daisen City, they found five puppies about one month old. The couple had them interact with Lucy to see which one felt the most comfortable. The only puppy who approached was Mutsu. After bringing him into the family, Chisato said, “The two have maintained a good balance, living together smoothly.”
Along with adopting Mutsu, they started sharing on social media. They created accounts on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, where they regularly post updates.
The theme of their posts is “healing.” Mutsu runs freely along the paths between fields, getting covered in dirt. There’s a scene where Mutsu is sitting in a large water-filled tub, and Kanekichi is pouring water over him with a watering can, saying, “It’s because it’s hot, isn’t it?” These heartwarming interactions within the tranquil rural landscape have drawn comments like “It warms my heart” and “It’s so soothing.”
This year, in May, Mutsu participated for the first time in the 149th Headquarters Exhibition of the Akita Dog Preservation Society (in Odate City). Although the breeder had said that Mutsu’s neck fur pattern would make it difficult to win, he proudly placed third in the young male category.
Masayuki served as Mutsu’s handler on that day. According to Chisato, “The only preparation we did was hurriedly bathing him the day before, and we made no other special preparations.” Since Mutsu is used to people, he confidently presented himself at the venue, earning high marks.
They also participated in exhibitions at the Akita Inu no Sato, Odate City’s visitor center. The Uedas said, “Akita dogs are a popular attraction in tourism, but at the same time, there are various challenges, such as the decline in numbers and breeders. We are happy that by sharing Mutsu’s story, more people will be encouraged to own Akita dogs or will come to meet them, contributing to the development of Odate City and its surrounding areas, which are the heartland of Akita dogs.”
