Mitane Town of Akita Prefecture is revitalizing local tourism by utilizing nature and hot springs, inspired by Kurort (a place for a cure) originating in Germany. The town has also introduced an experience program called “Walking with an Akita Dog” to promote health and well-being. On February 3rd, it was snowing heavily in the coastal town as our reporter arrived to meet the walking partner Masa.
Even with heavy snowfall, about 30 walking enthusiasts from the town gathered at the snow-covered Kotooka Central Park. The event was called “First Walk with Masa” as they strolled along a walking course with Masa in the new Year of the Tiger.
Masa looked restless in front of so many people. Seeing the snack placed in front of him, he couldn’t follow the instruction of “Wait” but instead ate it instantly. He also tried jumping forward to play with people who had just arrived.
Seeing Masa in such a playful manner, the walking fans treated Masa warmly, as if they were a grandparent watching over their mischievous grandchild. Furthermore, many of the attendees have known Masa since he was a puppy and often walk with him in the park apart from this special event.
Masa is a male born in April 2020. This is his second winter as a walking partner in the “Walking with an Akita Dog” tourism experience program offered by the general incorporated association, Healthcare Design Akita.
Unfortunately, due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of participants has been sluggish over the past year, with only about 100 users in total. Mr. Kamada Masahiro, a caretaker of Masa, oversees the program as a staff member of the association. He stated regretfully, “Sometimes, even if we received a reservation, it is often canceled over the concern of COVID.”
One of the program’s highlights is that each participant can take turns holding the leash and walking with Masa. Masa is a friendly dog that never barks at people. Since he started living with Mr. Kamada in September 2020, Masa has been walking with locals and has become accustomed to the presence of people. Thanks to these interactions, even those who are not very familiar with dogs now have no problem holding Masa‘s leash.
Kotooka Central Park is where Mr. Kamada and Masa go for most of their daily walks. Therefore, walking along the nature-rich trails and drinking the fresh water in the park is a part of Masa‘s everyday life.
Though Masa was a little excited before the walking event, he gradually calmed down after stepping onto the familiar path. The locals who were already very close to Masa took turns holding the leash and led the way quietly through the forest. When they reached an open space, Masa would become naughty and begin to frolic with people, which made many people laugh.
“Sometimes I wonder if I should be stricter with Masa,” says Mr. Kamada, “but seeing how our guests are enjoying Masa‘s enthusiastic interaction makes me hesitate.”
Mr. Kida Akira lives near the park and is usually responsible for maintaining the walking course. Speaking of Masa, he said with a smile, “Masa has a gentle face and just looking at him brings people a sense of healing. Even though he is occasionally mischievous, Masa has learned to behave much better now compared with when he first arrived.”
Mr. Kamada expressed his future aim for the program, “Right now Masa and our program ‘Walking with an Akita Dog’ are still not well known to many people. Looking ahead to the post-pandemic era, we would like to improve our PR strategies making full use of social media and other platforms while also trying to become a company that focuses on employees’ health management.” The association believes Masa‘s contribution to promoting local tourism through a health program is just beginning.
Why Not Try “Walking with an Akita Dog”?
Before the snow started to fall last December, I (the reporter) had an opportunity to experience walking with the Akita dog, Masa. I had never held the leash of a small dog, let alone a large dog like an Akita dog. In the beginning, I was surprised by Masa‘s strength, but as I got used to it, I found the strong pull from Masa to be pleasant and comforting. I felt that I could finally understand why Akita dog owners often say, “I can’t imagine owning any other dog.”
The experience program “Walking with an Akita Dog” is available year-round. Participants will first meet at the parking lot of Kotooka Central Park and then take a walk following the designated course in the park. The tour takes about an hour, including filling out a health screening form, doing preparatory exercises, and taking commemorative photos with Masa.
There are two-time slots available, 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Reservations are required at least one week in advance. The event will be held even if there is only one participant. But in the case of bad weather, the association may cancel the event, or the walking distance or time may be shortened. The fee per person is 2,000 yen (insurance included), and discounts for groups and children are available.
At this time of the year, participants are strongly advised to wear warm clothes and long boots for walking in deep snow. Even in other seasons, it is preferable to wear shoes that are easy to walk in and waterproof. In addition, please note that Masa might jump on you and stain your clothes, so it is best to wear clothes that are okay to get dirty. For inquiries, please contact Mr. Kamada at 080-5663-4606.
