End-of-Life Guardians

Bunpuku is a dog like no other who lives in a nursing home for the elderly in Kanagawa Prefecture. Whenever an elderly resident is in their last days of life, he licks their face and leans up against them. Owing to this behavior, Bunpuku is known as the mitori-inu, which literally translates to "dog who is present at one's deathbed." However, Bunpuku is not the only pooch at the home, as residents are allowed to bring their beloved dogs with them when they move in. The hounds provide company for people in the autumn of their lives. The relationship between the dogs and the elderly here is based on mutual affection, as we can see in this selection of footage filmed over a period of six months.

Release Date: 2017-10-07
Seasons: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
TMDb: 9.0/10
  • Country: JP
  • Language: 日本語 | English
  • Runtime: 50

Other episodes for this season

Where Will Divided America Go from Here? US Midterm Elections 2022
Episode 1 - Where Will Divided Americ...
The Red Way: The Making of a Third Term
Episode 2 - The Red Way: The Making o...
A Voice to the Voiceless
Episode 3 - A Voice to the Voiceless
Why I'm at War
Episode 4 - Why I'm at War
End-of-Life Guardians
Episode 5 - End-of-Life Guardians
Raising a Family on Cat Island
Episode 6 - Raising a Family on Cat I...
Blues from the Obscure
Episode 7 - Blues from the Obscure
Steve Jobs and Japan
Episode 8 - Steve Jobs and Japan
TOKYO SCANNING
Episode 9 - TOKYO SCANNING
Taiwan's Windy Frontline Islands
Episode 10 - Taiwan's Windy Frontline...
Voices of Tohoku: What We Want From Reconstruction
Episode 11 - Voices of Tohoku: What We...
A Director's War: Fighting for Ukraine from Japan
Episode 12 - A Director's War: Fightin...
Return to an Abandoned Village: 50 Years in Tsubayama
Episode 13 - Return to an Abandoned Vi...
ISSEY MIYAKE: The Human Inside the Clothes
Episode 14 - ISSEY MIYAKE: The Human I...
Prayers of a Thousand Years
Episode 15 - Prayers of a Thousand Yea...
Women on the Front Line: 15% of Japan's Politicians
Episode 16 - Women on the Front Line:...
The Unknown Master of Restoration Episode 2
Episode 17 - The Unknown Master of Res...
Ukraine's Nuclear Dilemma
Episode 18 - Ukraine's Nuclear Dilemma
Staging Shared Memories —Yu Miri and Young Fukushima Actors—
Episode 19 - Staging Shared Memories —...
On the Frontlines of Myanmar's Civil War
Episode 20 - On the Frontlines of Myan...
Walking a Tightrope: The Filmmaker Yang Yonghi
Episode 21 - Walking a Tightrope: The...
The Day I Gave Up My Daughter
Episode 22 - The Day I Gave Up My Daug...
Piano Girl
Episode 23 - Piano Girl
The Falconer's Legacy
Episode 24 - The Falconer's Legacy
Finding My Mirror
Episode 25 - Finding My Mirror