Last week, Ayumi and I embarked on a memorable journey to Sakura City in Chiba Prefecture. Our mission? To visit the monument of Kabosu, the most famous Shiba Inu on the internet. We planned to arrive shortly before sunset, hoping to capture the golden hour's glow with photos of Ayumi sitting next to the Kabosu statue on the stone sofa.
As we drove, the thick cloud cover broke, revealing a vibrant blue sky streaked with white bands that promised a spectacular sunset. The cool breeze made the drive even more enjoyable as we cruised with the top down.
When we arrived at the monument, a group of women stood in front, watching Ayumi with interest. Everywhere we go, Ayumi attracts attention. Whether it's because of her smile, her energy, her size, or the relative rarity of her fur colour, people cannot help but notice and comment on this wonderful canine companion.
The puppies had a chance to meet and sniff each other. Ayumi almost immediately started inviting them to play, jumping around and poking them with her nose, playfully growling and moving her head in the universal "come on!" manner. However, the other dogs, much older, were not particularly interested in playing.
As Ayumi continued her playful invitations, the women and I chatted about our dogs, as people usually do. One woman asked if I had come to the monument specifically because it was for Kabosu, and I said, "yes." She pointed to her dog, who was sleeping in a stroller, and responded, "Here she is."
The dog in the stroller was old. Really, really old. I didn't realise Kabosu was still alive, nor did I expect to meet the actual "Doge" while visiting this location. Meeting her in such an unexpected way felt surreal.
Ayumi was very calm around Kabosu, as though she understood that her elder was not interested in playing. She even stood still long enough to be in a photo next to the world-famous dog.
Ten minutes later, Kabosu was brought home, and Ayumi was able to explore more of the park while I took photos. Lots and lots of photos.
Later that night, as I went through the usual routine of organising photos and videos, the news of Kabosu's passing reached me. She was 18 years old. Releasing a video now feels inappropriate, as it could be seen as disrespectful to those who loved her. Instead, I choose to share this blog post, with its vivid images capturing our encounter.
Sleep well, Kabosu.