Yamatarō Comes Back
1980/01/01
STORY
This short story depicts the friendship between an orphaned bear cub and an old locomotive.
A mother bear and her cub find themselves stranded on the ice floating off the coast of Hokkaido. Tragically, the mother bear dies, but the cub survives and is rescued by humans. The cub is named Yamataro and is kept in a souvenir shop next to a locomotive train yard in Nemuro.
One day, Shiroku, an old locomotive that passes by the place where Yamataro is chained, begins to talk to him. Shiroku teaches Yamataro about the beauty of freedom and encourages him to be strong and live independently in the wild, away from humans. Inspired by Shiroku's words, Yamataro pulls the pole his collar is chained to out with all his strength to get free. Then Shiroku helps him escape, giving him a ride to the mountains.
DESCRIPTIONS
1980/01 Serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump (Shueisha)
This short story, with tastes of fantasy, folklore, and reality, features an animal as the main character.
Another feature is Siroku, a steam locomotive modeled after the Type C62. This was also the model for the locomotive in the anime, "Galaxy 999" by Reiji Yamamoto. The Type C62, first produced in 1948, was one of the most popular steam locomotives in postwar Japan and was in service in Hokkaido until the 1960s. However, these locomotives gradually disappeared due to the electrification of train lines.
The story captivates readers through the unique interaction between the bear cub and the locomotive, incorporating motifs familiar to people of that era. An animated adaptation, titled the same as the original manga, was also produced in 1989 as part of the Lion Book series.
