Haruyoshi Ōkawa

[6][7][8] At the time, Ainu hunters often stopped by the Ōkawa family home to shop after hunting in the mountains.

[2][6] In 1941, at the age of 32, he killed his first brown bear and cub, receiving applause from his father and other local residents.

The brown bear's gallbladder and fur could be sold for high prices, but Ōkawa, whose sole purpose was revenge, distributed them free of charge to residents.

[6] Ōkawa was demobilized in 1946 and, to repay his father, who had passed away, renewed his vow to kill 70 brown bears and resumed hunting the following year.

He also received a letter of appreciation from the Japan Hunting Friends Association for his contributions to pest control.

Ōkawa was already over 60 years old and was becoming increasingly fatigued from going to the mountains and beginning to feel strain from the weight of his gun.

He then planned to erect a memorial monument for the victims of the Sankebetsu brown bear incident.

[8][13] On December 9, 1985, a memorial service was held to mark the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Sankebetsu brown bear incident.

Ōkawa stood on the podium to give a speech at the municipal Sankei Elementary School (then closed) and, just as he began to speak, collapsed: he died later that day.

After Ōkawa hunted down brown bears in revenge for the incident, he suddenly died on its 70th anniversary, leading the people around him to feel a connection.

[14][15] In 1986, Akira Yoshimura published the short story "Putting Down the Gun" (銃を置く, Jū wo Oku) in the 500th special issue of Shōsetsu Shinchō.