Mutsugorou

Have you ever heard of 畑正憲 (Masanori Hata)…more commonly called 「ムツゴロウ」 (“Mutsugorou“)?

He’s a 74 year old Japanese man who graduated from the prestigious 東京大学 (University Of Tokyo).

When he was twenty-five, he got a job making documentaries, but quit eight years later to become a professional author after he got his first book published.

Almost every book he’s had published and movie that he produced has been about animals.

「ムツゴロウさん」 (“Mutsugorou-san“) is famous in Japan for his love of animals.
He loves any and all animals! Bugs, reptiles, housepets, wild beasts…all animals.

He often appears as a guest on Japanese TV variety shows because of his unusual habit of “playing” with animals…even wild animals. Many times he meets an animal that’s not in a “playful mood” and he’s been bitten and scratched many times…a few times he’s been nearly killed!

But that doesn’t hinder his love for the animals…nor does it cause him to hesitate to continue to “play” with animals. When he gets bit or injured, he just says that the animal is only acting natural…he doesn’t seemed fazed in the least.

He’s quite a character!

Here’s a video of a program I saw on TV that featured the “Top Five Mutsugorou Moments” as chosen by Japanese pop singer 中島美嘉 (Mika Nakashima).