Bunkō

Otaru has a long history as a port-town, and so during the Meiji period of the late 19th century it saw tremendous expansion as it became a focal point for the shipping of coal mined in Hokkaido to mainland Japan, and the unloading of supplies and personnel needed for the expansion into the interior of Hokkaido. As a result, the population boomed during the Meiji era. However, construction could not keep up with the demand for new houses, and there was an increase in wooden houses that could be built quickly. This resulted in Otaru being highly susceptible to fires, with large conflagrations that would result in the majority of the city being impacted occurring with a frequency of once every 2 to 3 years.

To continue to spread the story of Bunkō's achievements he was stuffed and preserved, being displayed for a time in the fire service's main headquarters. Afterwards, he was kept by Otaru Museum being displayed at the Otaru Museum and Otaru Canal Museum, with many fans coming from across Japan to see Bunkō's taxidermy at the museum since the beginning of the 2010s. Bunkō's memory has been long lasting, and picture books and other children's literature has introduced his exploits.

In the same year, 2008, the non-profit organisation Kennel Club Japan awarded Bunkō with the first ‘silver collar’ prize, given to “dogs or humans who have contributed to the co-existence of pets and people within society”. Along with the prize, the ceremony was held with a memorial concert on the 70th anniversary of Bunkō's death on the 3rd of February 2008.

In 2007, the Otaru company Ishii Printing unveiled four original characters under its in-house brand Otaru Shishōdō, one of which Otaru Un Gappa would go onto be the official mascot of the Otaru Tourism Board. One of these characters was a white puppy called Shachikurara, which was described as being the grandson of Bunkō. The next year, in 2008, the character gained popularity through merchandise like mobile-phone charms and others.

On the 68th anniversary of Bunkō's death, the 3rd of February 2006, a plan to publicly commemorate him began. Former members of Otaru's local fire department founded the “Committee for the Creation of a Commemoration Statue of Firefighting Dog Bunkō”. At the centre of this drive was a local businessman and former assistance-head of the fire department. He had thought of building a commemorative statue as he wanted to “give something back to Otaru”, and remembered Bunkō, deciding to build a bronze statue so that “more people will feel recognition towards the work of fighters and the fire service”.

Bunkō (ぶん公, 1914 – February 3, 1938) was a Japanese mixed breed dog, famous for becoming the mascot of the Otaru city fire department. He was saved as a puppy after being found in burnt-down ruins after a fire and lived in the Otaru fire station for most of his life, being looked after by the firefighters.

Bunkō passed away at noon on the 3rd of February 1938, while being looked after by the members of the fire department. He was 24 years old (over 100 in dog years). The Otaru Shimbun newspaper (now The Hokkaido Shimbun) ran the story announcing his death on the 5th of that month, with the headline “Firefighting Dog Bunkō’s Long & Heroic 24 Years Ends from Illness”.

The plan gained many supporters, and on the July 21st of the same year the statue was unveiled for the first time. The bronze statue, at the Otaru City Tourist Information Center (Canal Plaza), depicts Bunkō sitting on a pedestal as he looks towards the warehouses running all the canal. The pedestal's height was decided on the basis that it should be the right height for children to come and touch the statue and take commemorative pictures with Bunkō. On the plated photograph attached to the statue Bunkō is shown as he was at that time, riding on the sidestep of the Chevrolet fire truck. The statue has been well regarded, and occasionally hand-knitted hats and scarfs, or caramel sweets are left as offerings at the statue. And during the Christmas period the statue is dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, and many tourists come to take pictures with the statue.

In the spring of 1914, the fire service responded to a report of a fire and, after extinguishing the blaze, they found a crying puppy in the burnt-out ruins. With no one claiming the puppy as their own, the firefighters took him back to the station to raise him there.