A pig farmer in Japan is warming hearts around the world, thanks to a photo collection that documents his life with some 1,200 pigs. Whether he’s tending to the little piglets, sleeping with the sows, or serenading them all with tunes on his guitar, this is a farmer who loves spending time in the pen surrounded by his animals.

The photo collection has been released as a book called “Buta to Otchan“, or “Pigs and Papa”. It’s proven to be so popular that it’s currently sold out on shopping site Amazon.

The photos were taken over a number of years by Yamaji Toshiteru, a former city office employee who self-published the book and then won the 13th Japan Self-Publishing Award, Graphic Prize. Toshiteru captures the magic of Otchan’s slow and peaceful life and shows us the great bond that can develop between a man and his animals.

A lot of Otchan’s time is spent doting on the baby pigs, ensuring they’re healthy and well-fed.

While other times he sits amongst the herd in the sunshine, playing them music or reading them newspapers.





Like any good farmer, Otchan doesn’t mind getting in amongst his animals and the pigs don’t mind him cosying up to them either.





We hope more farmers out there will take a leaf out of Otchan’s book and treat animals with the same type of respect and care that’s shown in these photos. Pigs and Papa is a delightful reminder that with just a little kindness, we can all get along.

Sources: Viral Nova Amazon UK