28 Jun Tokyo’s Zema, Lingayen’s Smokey: Dogs in War Reminiscences

Tokyo’s Zema, Lingayen’s Smokey: Dogs in War Reminiscences
with Ian Christopher Alfonso, PhD
July 18, 2026 (Saturday) | 4:00 – 6:00 PM

Tickets
With free one-day access to FHL, valid until one month after the event

Students and Educators – ₱150
PWD / Senior – ₱210
*Discounted – ₱240
Regular – ₱300

*Discounted rate applies to Ayala Group employees, Ayala Museum members, and FHL Research Pass holders. Please present a valid ID.

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This talk is presented by the Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) in conjunction with the exhibition Between Two Worlds: A Philippine Diary, 80 Years Ago—by Shinichi Komatsu (July 2 – August 16, 2026), and in commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of Philippines-Japan Friendship, with the support of the Toshiba International Foundation. Co-curated with Dr. Karl Ian Uy Cheng Chua and Shiko Komatsu, this program also marks a significant year for both the FHL and Ayala Foundation as they celebrate their 30th and 65th anniversaries, respectively.

ABOUT THE TALK

Little did we know that one of the Japanese prisoners of war during World War II in the Philippines was a foremost scholar of dogs in Japan. His name was Shinichi Komatsu, co-founder of Nippo, short for Nihom Ken Hozonkai (Association for the Preservation of the Japanese Dog) in 1928. This was the same institution that made Hachiko well-known and spearheaded the erection of a monument to this loyal dog in Shibuya in 1932. Prior to his involvement in the war, Shinichi compiled an illustrated diary about his deceased Ainu dog, Zema. Entitled Zema Ichidaiki (Zema’s Life) (1939), this work depicts Zema’s life and adventures in Tokyo. The illustrated diary was made available on the Ryojin Nikki Museum website in 2025 by Shinichi’s grandson.

Another lesser-known personality in the wartime Philippines was Bill Wynne, a photographer of the United States Army Forces in the Far East. Like Shinichi, he published a book about his deceased female Yorkshire Terrier, Smokey, titled Yorkie Doodle Dandy (1996), full of photographs and recollections. Unlike Zema, Smokey was a rescued dog in a foxhole in New Guinea and was brought by Wynne to the Philippine liberation campaign in 1945. She even became a war hero for being instrumental in bringing in a crucial underground cable that established the communication and surveillance systems of Lingayen, Pangasinan, against Japanese warplanes. 

Postwar conditions in their respective countries provided an opportunity for both to herald hope. Shinichi wrote a diary while a prisoner in the Philippines. Wynne combined his war memoir with Smokey, although Shinichi later expanded his work on Zema to include narratives of his recollections of the dog. Wynne also promoted Smokey as a postwar therapy dog, the first in history, which further popularized the pooch.

Although they never crossed paths, Shinichi and Wynne wrote their respective dog stories as sources of comfort and hope amid a turbulent time. How much more beautiful dog stories are in store among millions of people involved in the war, waiting to be retold or lost for eternity. At some point, these people just wanted to live normal lives with their dogs, too, only to be dragged into their respective countries’ ideologies and ambitions.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

IAN CHRISTOPHER B. ALFONSO is an Assistant Professor at the Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman. He is a Board Member of the Philippine Historical Association and a member of the UNESCO Memory of the World Program in the Philippines. He received his Doctor of Philosophy in History and Master of Arts in History degrees from UP Diliman. His research interests are Philippine precolonial and early colonial history, the Philippine Revolution, toponymy, cultural heritage and management, animal history, the local history of Manila Bay communities, and public history. Among his latest books are Dogs in Philippine History (2023), the Best Book Design winner and a Finalist for Best Book on History at the 42nd National Book Awards; A History of the Sarangani Islands 1521-1921 (2023); The Burning of Macabebe (2024); and Munting Aklat ng Baybayin (2024).