Unless you live in Japan, you may not know about the movie, “Mari and Her Three Puppies,” which recounts the true story about a Shiba Inu and her loyalty to her human family and her new born pups. This movie shows why a Shiba Inu, known for its independence, can be counted on in times of need. If you see the movie, the adjectives, “devoted” and “selflessness” will quickly be imprinted on your mind. Click on this link to see the trailer to the movie. Watching the film is another reason to love the Shiba and its one-of-a-kind personality.
The true story of Mari begins with one of the deadliest tremors to hit Japan since 1995. The Heisei 16 Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Earthquake in 2004 injured 3,000 people and killed 40. Many those who were rescued or who were found were trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
"Mari and Her Three Puppies" is the true story of a Shiba Inu who kept her newborn litter and her trapped elderly owner alive through the 2004 Niigata earthquake in Japan. The dog stayed by her owner until rescuers reached him, then survived alone with her puppies for roughly two weeks until the family returned to find all four alive. The 2007 film dramatizes the account and became a touchstone for what the breed's loyalty looks like under pressure. Beneath the tears, the story is a clean illustration of Shiba temperament: independent enough to survive, devoted enough to stay.
The short version, in four parts:
- Mari was a real Shiba Inu who protected her owner and her litter during a deadly 2004 earthquake.
- She survived about two weeks alone with her puppies before the family returned to find them alive.
- The 2007 film adapts the story and is beloved in Japan for showing Shiba devotion.
- The tale captures the breed's paradox: aloof and self-reliant, yet fiercely loyal when it counts.
A Short Synopsis of the Story
The three strongest quakes happened just under 40 minutes with epicenters covering Ojiva City, Hirokami, and the village of Yamakoshi, located in the Niigata Prefecture. An elderly man in Yamakoshi, who was trapped beneath a cabinet, was cared for and saved by his Shiba Inu, Mari, who also cared for her three puppies at the same time. Eventually, the man was able to get out from under the rubble and was safely evacuated by helicopter.
Mari and her puppies could not accompany her owner, as rescuers placed a priority on saving humans first. However, the owners did return after two weeks and found a still-alive Mari, albeit gaunt, taking care of her well-fed and plump pups. Still, this brief synopsis does not offer the full detailed account of the movie, Mari and Her Three Puppies.
How the Movie Plays Out
In the movie, the household is comprised of a grandfather, his son, and the son’s children – a boy and a girl. The little girl and boy discover Mari, abandoned and lost, who wants to follow them home. However, there is one problem – the father is afraid of dogs. Nevertheless, the father relents and takes Mari into his home when the little girl asks for a puppy for her birthday.
Eventually, the dog has puppies, then the earthquake hits, trapping the grandfather and girl in the wreckage and debris. Mari watches over the pair as well as her own puppies until she finds Jietai (Japanese Self-Defense Force military) rescue workers, who help the girl and her grandfather and helicopter them away from the scene.
As the helicopter flies over the countryside, the girl sees her beloved dog running to try to keep up with the machine. In the end, everything turns out alright, but you will feel lumps forming in your throat as you try to hold back the tears.
While you get the premise of the film, and hopefully you won’t be disappointed by the telling of this story, seeing the footage makes you realize how dogs, like the Shiba Inu, enrich our lives. Although the movie strays a bit from the truth, it still makes it point.
She Refused to Give Up
According to the Chinese Zodiac, people born in the year of the dog are loyal, selfless, and honest – much like a Shiba Inu, but they can also be critical and stubborn, again – like a Shiba Inu. These contrasting traits may confuse some Shiba parents at first. However, Mari’s perseverance may have been marked by a certain degree of stubbornness. She refused to give up.
Other Positive Qualities
Let’s look at some more of the positive traits that make Shiba Inus stand out:
Perceptiveness. Shiba Inus are highly perceptive, which make them good guard dogs. For example, one Shiba owner reported that his dog kept nudging him to follow him. When he finally did, his Shiba led him to the gate of his fence. At first perplexed, the owner took a closer look at the latch on the gate. Someone had broken it! Thanks to his Shiba Inu, the owner upgraded the security entrance to his home.
Playful. Shiba Inus are a good companion dog, as they love to play with their human owners. That is why they bring a sense of fun and joviality into a living space.
Protective. According to the Chinese, a dog is lucky to have as a canine companion because he makes a household more peaceful. This is certainly true of the Shiba Inu, whose defensive nature adds a sense of calm and harmony inside a home.
Cooperative. The Shiba, while independent, is also cooperative. The dog places the needs of its owners or own offspring ahead of its own needs. This makes it generous, hardworking, and considerate.
Another Movies that Features Shiba Inus
Another movie, closer to home, that features a Shiba Inu, is the 2008 film, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. This story, which is also based on a true account, stars Richard Gere and Joan Allen. Film producers used Shiba puppies to play the dog Hachiko as a puppy. Three Akitas were used to play the adult dog in the film. Here is the link to the trailer for “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale.”
Indeed, Shibas have a special place in the heart of Shiba parents and dog lovers alike. The above films provide a great way to truly appreciate the specialness that dogs, like the Shiba Inu, lend to a person’s life.
So, What Do You Think?
Do you have a favorite Shiba Inu movie you would like to share? Have you watched either of the two movies above? If so, what did you think? What do you think about the trailers? Do you have a heartwarming story about a Shiba Inu to share?
What Mari's story reveals about Shiba temperament
A good story survives because it is true to its subject. Mari's does, because every choice she made maps onto a real trait of the breed. Here is the temperament the film puts on screen.
- Loyalty that activates under stress. Shibas are famously aloof day to day, which fools people into thinking they are indifferent. Mari's story shows the opposite: the bond is quiet until it is needed, and then it is absolute. Owners describe the same thing, a dog that ignores you on a normal afternoon and refuses to leave your side when you are sick.
- Maternal drive. Mari kept her puppies fed and warm while starving herself, and that fierce maternal instinct is real in the breed. Shiba mothers are attentive and protective, and the drive to care for their own runs deep.
- Self-reliance. Two weeks alone in a disaster zone is not a feat most companion breeds could manage. The Shiba was built as an independent hunter, and that hardiness is exactly what let Mari improvise survival for four dogs without a human.
- Resilience. The breed's toughness is physical and mental. A Shiba does not fall apart under hardship the way a more delicate dog might, and Mari's gaunt-but-alive return is that resilience made literal.
- Perceptiveness. Shibas are alert and read their environment constantly, which is why they make good watchdogs. Mari staying oriented to her people fits a breed that notices the broken latch before you do.
- The stubbornness underneath. The same trait that makes a Shiba ignore your recall is the one that makes it refuse to give up. Mari's perseverance was stubbornness pointed at survival. You do not get the devotion without the willfulness, they are the same wiring.
A composite of how this shows up at home: an owner who describes their Shiba as "standoffish" for a year suddenly watches the dog plant itself outside the bathroom door during an illness and refuse to move. That is Mari, scaled down. For more of the breed's surprising traits, our fun Shiba facts piece has the lighter side, and our honest guide on whether a Shiba Inu is right for you covers what that loyalty asks of you in return.
What we have seen
Across 250+ Shibas placed since 2019, the Mari kind of loyalty is real, but it is earned, not automatic. The dogs that bonded hardest were the ones given time and space to decide the relationship on their own terms. Push a Shiba for affection and it retreats. Let it come to you, and the devotion that shows up is the kind the movie is about.
Rehomed Shibas make this vivid. A dog that arrives shut down and suspicious after a hard transition can, within weeks or months, attach to a new person completely. We have watched aloof intake dogs become the shadow of a quiet, patient adopter. The loyalty was never gone. It was waiting for someone worth giving it to. That is the whole argument for careful matching over fast placement.
What has worked: pairing a reserved dog with an adopter who does not need instant validation and will let the bond build. What has not worked: expecting a rescue Shiba to be Mari on day one. If you want a dog capable of that depth, our rehoming process is built to find the right fit, and a trainer or behaviorist can help a slow-to-trust dog get there.
Common followup questions
Is "Mari and Her Three Puppies" based on a true story?
Yes, though the film takes dramatic liberties. The core is real: during the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu earthquake, a Shiba named Mari protected her elderly owner and her newborn puppies, and all survived after roughly two weeks apart from the family. The movie adds characters and softens edges, as adaptations do, but the dog and the rescue actually happened.
Are Shiba Inus actually loyal dogs?
Deeply, but on their own terms. A Shiba is not the demonstrative, everyone-is-my-friend loyal of a Labrador. Its loyalty is selective and quiet, aimed at its person and slow to give to strangers. Once earned, it is intense and durable, which is exactly the devotion Mari's story dramatizes.
Is Hachiko a Shiba Inu?
No, Hachiko was an Akita, the larger cousin of the Shiba. The confusion is common because the two breeds look alike and both are Japanese. In the film "Hachi: A Dog's Tale," Shiba puppies played the young dog while Akitas played the adult, which only deepens the mix-up. The famous loyalty is shared, but the breed is not the same.
What to read next
For more of the breed's character, read our fun Shiba facts and the deeper history of the Shiba Inu. If the loyalty in Mari's story has you considering the breed, our honest guide on whether a Shiba Inu is right for you sets real expectations, and our rehoming process is how a Shiba might join your home.
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