New Book Information “How do you accept life?” From the birth of piglets to the time they become pork. A non-fiction book that considers animal welfare: “How the Pigs Lived: Seven Months at Buufuu Farm”

【New Book Information】”How do you accept life?” From the time piglets are born to the time they become pork. “How the Piglets Lived: Seven Months on a Farm” is a nonfiction book that explores animal welfare. ​
Iwasaki Shoten Co., Ltd. Press Release: September 16, 2025 [New Release Information] “How do you accept life?” From the birth of piglets to the time they become pork. A nonfiction book that explores animal welfare: “How the Pigs Lived: Seven Months on the Boo-Boo Farm.”
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We visited Buufuuu Farm in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, which practices completely free-range pig farming. At Buufuu Farm in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, pigs roam freely in a spacious pasture at the foot of the mountains. Rather than being housed in cramped sheds, the pigs here can eat, sleep, and play whenever they want, smelling the soil and grass. –Why do pigs graze? –How do pigs feel about their lives? –Where does the meat we eat come from? This book explores the lives of these free-range pigs and considers the topic of “animal welfare.” Author Masahiko Ota, while working as a newspaper reporter and writing articles wishing for the happiness of animals, particularly pets, came across the challenge of how to improve animal welfare for farmed animals. The author’s wish, after much worry, thought, and research, is — “After reading this book, I hope that you will be someone who thinks something when you have pork in front of you.”
●Content introduction Just as people have lives, pigs that are turned into meat and eaten by humans also have lives. Because we eat them for our own convenience, we want them to live happily while they’re alive. This book follows the lives of 12 piglets born to a mother pig living on a free-range pig farm in Yamanashi Prefecture. By depicting the seven months from birth to the piglets being shipped as pork, we consider animal welfare through their lives.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/402/35751-402-14c45763c0dc62f54a58a041d217d06e-1500×1064.jpg Main text Table of contents Introduction Chapter 1: Welcome to Buufuuu Farm (May, Spring) Chapter 2: Running Around the Pasture (June, Early Summer) Chapter 3: Mother and Child Free on the Pasture (July, Summer in Full Swing) Chapter 4: Unconstrained by Anything (August, Midsummer to Autumn) Chapter 5: The Final Moments (January, Winter) Chapter 6: What is Animal Welfare? Conclusion “Because we eat for our own convenience, we want to ensure that we can live happily while we’re alive.” With this in mind, Buufuu Farm (Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture) practices free-range pig farming, where you can see lively pigs. What’s the difference between these pigs, which are free-range and allow mothers and their young to live freely, and pigs on regular pig farms? And what is animal welfare? This nonfiction book touches upon the fate of pigs on typical pig farms in Japan, helping readers learn about and deepen their understanding of the concept of animal welfare. A gentle look at the connection between life and food. On typical pig farms in Japan, piglets aren’t even allowed out of their pens. They spend their short lives in cramped pens, never exposed to sunlight or even stepping on soil, spending their entire lives on concrete. That’s just not OK. I want to raise them in as natural an environment as possible. (Chisato Nakajima, Representative of Buufuuu Farm) ●Bibliographic Information
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/402/35751-402-65d5380fff6cd3c19a8b3fd9785791d9-1500×2102.jpg Cover Title: How the Pigs Lived ─ 7 Months on the Farm Author: Masahiko Ota Publisher: Iwasaki Shoten Co., Ltd. Price: ¥1,650 (¥1,500 tax) Size: A5 Number of pages: 160 Target age: Upper elementary school and up Iwasaki Shoten product page:
https://www.iwasakishoten.co.jp/book/b10143840.html Product
introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KZvV49gS1E4 ●Author introduction Born in 1976. He graduated from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo in 1998. After working for a competitor, he joined The Asahi Shimbun in 2001. After covering the distribution industry as a reporter in the Economics Department, he began covering issues such as the culling of dogs and cats and pet shops in 2008 while working in the AERA editorial department. In recent years, he has expanded his coverage to include animals on display at zoos and farmed animals. His books include Who Kills the Dogs? The Dark Side of Pet Distribution (Asahi Bunko), Dogs and Cats Become “Slaves” (Asahi Shimbun Publications), and Who Saves the Cats? The “Slaves” of the Pet Business (Asahi Bunko). He has also co-authored books such as Thinking about Animal Lives (Sakuhokusha) and The “Zoo Superpower” at a Crossroads (Gendaishokan). As of 2025, he is a member of the Culture Department of the Asahi Shimbun. *Release dates may vary by store depending on product availability. Sales locations: Bookstores nationwide, online bookstores, etc. Kinokuniya Bookstore:
https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/f/dsg-01-9784265080441/ Rakuten Books: https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/18314853/ Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4265080448/