:52:06
Watch out for animals
:52:07
But for us, it was already too late,
and too small a space to live in.
:52:11
A group of us moved over the mountain...
:52:13
...to a place called Machida where
there were still forests and farmlands.
:52:18
But there were tanuki already there,
and cornered by development,...
:52:22
...they struggled daily
to survive the dangers of traffic.
:52:29
Finally, we arrived at a decision.
:52:47
That's right.
:52:49
We who could transform, followed the
foxes' example and lived as humans.
:52:56
I became a salaryman, and
my wife Kiyo works at a snack bar.
:53:00
Some tanuki sold real estate,
and continued to develop the forest land.
:53:06
>But most could not
handle the severe stress...
:53:09
...and wanted to return to the mountains.
:53:13
Really, I can't help but admire how
humans can endure such a lifestyle.
:53:18
In the end, many dropped out and lived
around Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku.
:53:23
And others scrounge
for leftovers in the red light district.
:53:34
What of Ponkichi
and the other normal tanuki?