The Old Dog Shrine was built to enshrine the spirit of Shiro, a dog belonging to a hunter named Sadaroku. In the 17th century, in Towada-Kusaki in the city of Kazuno (in the Nambu Domain in those days), Sadaroku lived with his wife and a white dog, whose name was Shiro (which means “”white”” in Japanese). Sadaroku inherited a special license from his ancestors, with which he held the right to hunt anywhere within, as well as beyond the Nambu Domain. However, one day, Sadaroku went for hunting in San-no-he beyond the bounds of the Nambu Domain, leaving his special license at home. He was unfortunately found and caught by the local hunters. He was put in jail and sentenced to death. Shiro, dismayed, approached the jail. His master asked him to fetch the special license from home which Shiro understood. But a dozen hours later, Shiro came back without the special license. Sadaroku’s wife at home could not understand what Shiro came back for. Sadaroku asked Shiro to go back again and Shiro started running again. Several days of Sadaroku’s absence and Shiro’s frantic barking made Sadaroku’s wife finally realize that something was wrong. She found the special license and put it around Shiro’s neck in a bamboo tube. Shiro ran for his master’s life, but, alas, when Shiro arrived at San-no-he with the proof of his master’s innocence, he had already been executed.
Shiro continued barking most poignantly for several days and nights. Shiro and Sadaroku’s wife later moved to the village of Kuzowara and both of them died there. The villagers built a shrine in commemoration of Shiro’s loyalty, where Shiro’s spirit was enshrined. Every year on April 17, an annual festival is held in Shiro’s memory at the Old Dog Shrine.
