A Man And His Tortoise

In Tokyo, Japan, funeral director Mitani Hisao regularly walks his gigantic 19 year old African tortoise named Bon-chan. 19 years earlier Hisao spotted a five-centimeter baby tortoise in a pet shop in Tokyo, and he knew the animal would become his best friend. The unusual pairing of human and tortoise attract attention wherever they go when on their 1 and 1/2 hour long outings around the city dressed in their homemade outfits. Hisao says that Bon-chan is like a child to him, because he has no children of his own. Bon-chan and Hisao are the only men in his household, so they seem to understand each other. While taking a leisurely walk around the city, people stop to take pictures and children ride Bon-chan for short distances.