Hachikō

was a Japanese Akita dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, for whom he continued to wait for over nine years following Ueno's death.

Hachikō was born on November 10, 1923, at a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture. In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor at the Tokyo Imperial University, brought him to live in Shibuya, Tokyo as his pet. Hachikō would meet Ueno at Shibuya Station every day after his commute home. This continued until May 21, 1925, when Ueno died of a cerebral hemorrhage while at work. From then until his death on March 8, 1935, Hachikō would return to Shibuya Station every day to await Ueno's return.

During his lifetime, the dog was held up in Japanese culture as an example of loyalty and fidelity. Since his death, he continues to be remembered worldwide in popular culture with statues, movies and books. Hachikō is also known in Japanese as , with the suffix originating as one once used for ancient Chinese dukes; in this context, it was an affectionate addition to his name Hachi.

Life

Hachikō, a white Akita, was born on November 10, 1923, at a farm located in Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, Japan. He was one of eight purebred Akita puppies, borne through his father Oshinai and mother Goma.
In January 1924, a 50-day-old Hachi was carried in a sack on a long train journey to Tokyo after Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the Tokyo Imperial University, took Hachikō as a pet and brought him to live in Shibuya, Tokyo. Accordingly, Professor Hidesaburō Ueno chose the name Hachi (八, “eight”) because his forepaws resembled the shape of the kanji for eight.Hachikō: The True Story of Japan’s Most Loyal Dog - Nippon.com
/ref> Ueno, who had no children, doted on the dog, allowing Hachi to sleep indoors and under his bed, raising him with affectionate care. Ueno would commute daily to work, and Hachikō would leave the house to greet him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station. Locals and station staff soon became familiar with the pair and observed the dog’s daily routine. The pair continued the daily routine until May 21, 1925, when Ueno did not return.

That evening, Hachikō went to Shibuya Station as usual, but Ueno never returned. The professor had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while he was giving a lecture to his class and died subsequently. Hachikō, not understanding that his owner had died, showed up as usual in the evening and waited for Ueno’s arrival.{{Cite web, title=Exhibition: Faithful Hachikō and Professor Ueno, url=https://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/, website=National Museum of Nature and Science, access-date=2025-06-06} When Ueno failed to come home, Hachikō acted distressed and sniffed and paced around Ueno’s empty house, even refusing food for days.{{Cite book, last=Turner, first=Pamela S., title=Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog, publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, year=2004, isbn=9780618140943 In the weeks that followed, Ueno’s wife, Yaeko and colleagues made arrangements for the dog’s care. Hachikō was given to new caretakers numerous times, and sent to the countryside briefly, but repeatedly escaped or wandered back to the Shibuya area. Eventually, one of Ueno’s former gardeners, Kikuzaburō Kobayashi, who lived near Shibuya, took Hachikō in and provided a home close to the station. {{Cite web , title=ハチ公が渋谷駅に来ていた本当の理由とは , url=https://10mtv.jp/pc/column/article.php?column_article_id=1474 , website=テンミニッツTV , language=ja , access-date=2025-06-06 Yet Hachikō continued to travel to Shibuya Station almost daily. Each day despite weather conditions, the dog appeared in front of the station’s ticket gates, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station.

Hachikō waited for the next 9 years, 9 months and 15 days and eventually attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who visited the Shibuya train station had seen Hachikō and Professor Ueno together each day. Initial reactions from the people were not necessarily friendly. After the first appearance of the article about him in {{transliteration, ja, Asahi Shimbun on October 4, 1932, people started to bring Hachikō treats and food to nourish him during his wait.

One of Ueno's students, Hirokichi Saito, who studied Akitas, saw the dog at the station and followed him to the home of Ueno's former gardener, Kozaburo Kobayashi, where he learned the history of Hachikō's life. Shortly after the meeting, the former student published a documented census of Akitas in Japan. His research found only 30 purebred Akitas remaining, including Hachikō from Shibuya Station. He returned to visit Hachikō, and over the years he published several articles about the dog's remarkable loyalty. In 1932, one of his articles, published in {{transliteration, ja, Asahi Shimbun, gained the dog in fame. Teachers and parents used Hachikō's vigil as an example for children to follow. Teru Ando built a sculpture of the dog, and throughout the country, and awareness of the Akita breed grew. Hachikō's faithfulness also became a national symbol of loyalty, particularly to the person and institution of Emperors.{{cite web , url= http://www.berfrois.com/2011/09/aaron-herald-skabelund-hachiko/ , title= Canine Imperialism , first1=Aaron Herald , last1=Skabelund , website= berfrois.com , publisher= Berfrois , date=23 September 2011 , access-date=28 October 2011

Death and legacy

Hachikō died on March 8, 1935, at the age of 11. He was found on a street in Shibuya.{{Cite web , last= , first= , date=June 25, 2009 , title=Hollywood the latest to fall for tale of Hachiko , url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/search?query=news , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407022943/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/06/25/national/hollywood-the-latest-to-fall-for-tale-of-hachiko/ , archive-date=April 7, 2023 , access-date= , website=The Japan Times In March 2011, scientists finally settled the cause of Hachikō's death; the dog had both terminal cancer and a filaria infection. There were also four {{transliteration, ja, yakitori skewers in Hachikō's stomach, but the skewers did not damage his stomach nor cause his death. After his death, Hachikō's remains were cremated and his ashes were buried in Aoyama Cemetery, Minato, Tokyo where they rest beside Professor Ueno. Hachikō's pelt was preserved after his death, and his taxidermy is on display at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo.{{cite web , url=http://www.northlandakitas.com/akitahistory/ahistory.htm , title=A History Of The Akita Dog , first1=Tatsuo , last1=Kimura , publisher=Akita Learning Center , access-date=May 6, 2011 Each year on March 8, Hachikō is honored with a ceremony of remembrance at Shibuya Station.

Bronze statues

{{See also, Statue of Hachikō

In April 1934, a bronze statue based on Hachikō sculpted by Teru Ando was revealed at the Shibuya Station. The statue was recycled for the war effort during World War II. In 1948, Takeshi Ando, (son of the original artist), made a second statue. The new statue, which was erected in August 1948, still stands and is a popular meeting spot. The station entrance near this statue is named "Hachikō-guchi", meaning "The Hachikō Entrance/Exit", and is one of Shibuya Station's five exits.
Another statue is in Hachikō's hometown, in front of Ōdate Station; it was built in 1932. In 2004, a new statue of Hachikō was erected in front of the Akita Dog Museum in Ōdate. After the release of the American movie '' Hachi: A Dog's Tale'' (2009), which was filmed in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the Japanese Consulate in the United States helped the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the city of Woonsocket to reveal an identical statue of Hachikō at the Woonsocket Depot Square, which was the location of the "Bedridge" train station featured in the movie. On March 9, 2015, the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Tokyo, Ueno's alma mater and workplace where he commuted every workday during his time with Hachikō, made a bronze statue depicting Ueno returning to meet Hachikō to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Hachikō's death. The statue was sculpted by Tsutomu Ueda from Nagoya and depicts an excited Hachikō jumping up to greet his master at the end of a workday. Ueno is dressed in a hat, suit, and trench coat, with his briefcase placed on the ground. Hachikō wears a studded harness as seen in his last photos.

Hachikō's Bark

In 1994, Nippon Cultural Broadcasting in Japan was able to restore a recording of Hachikō barking from an old 78 RPM record that had been broken into several pieces. The pieces were melded together using a laser. A huge advertising campaign ensued and on Saturday, May 28, 1994; 59 years after his death, millions of radio listeners tuned in to hear Hachikō's bark.

Shibuya Ward Minibus

In 2003, in Shibuya ward, a minibus (officially called "community bus") started routes in the ward, nicknamed "Hachiko-bus". There are four different routes. People can hear the theme song {{nihongo, , ハチ公バスのうた, Hachiko-basu no uta in this bus.{{Citation needed, date=February 2021

Images

In July 2012, photos from Hachikō's life were shown at the Shibuya Folk and Literary Shirane Memorial Museum in Shibuya as part of the {{transliteration, ja, Shin Shuzo Shiryoten exhibition of newly stored materials. In November 2015, a previously undiscovered photograph of Hachikō was found. The image, which was captured in 1934 by a Tokyo bank employee, shows the dog relaxing by himself in front of Shibuya Station.

Yaeko Sakano

{{nihongo, Yaeko Sakano, 坂野 八重子, Sakano Yaeko, more often referred as Yaeko Ueno, was the unmarried partner of Hidesaburō Ueno for about 10 years until his death in 1925. Hachikō was reported to have shown great happiness and affection towards her whenever she came to visit him. Yaeko died on April 30, 1961, at the age of 76 and was buried at a temple in Taitō, further away from Ueno's grave, despite her requests to her family members to be buried with her partner. In 2013, Yaeko's record indicated that she wanted to be buried with Ueno, was found by Sho Shiozawa, who is a professor of the University of Tokyo. Shiozawa was also the president of the Japanese Society of Irrigation, Drainage, and Rural Engineering, which manages Ueno's grave at Aoyama Cemetery. On November 10, 2013, which marked the 90th anniversary of the birth of Hachikō, Sho Shiozawa and Keita Matsui, a curator of the Shibuya Folk and Literary Shirane Memorial Museum, felt the need of Yaeko to be buried together with Ueno and Hachikō. The process began with willing consent from the Ueno and Sakano families and the successful negotiations with management of the Aoyama Cemetery. However, due to regulations and bureaucracy, the process took about 2 years. Shiozawa also went on as one of the organizers involved with the erection of bronze statue of Hachikō and Ueno which was unveiled on the grounds of the University of Tokyo on March 9, 2015, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Hachikō's death.

Birthdays

On November 10, 2012, Google commemorated what would have been Hachikō's 89th birthday by uploading a Google Doodle that depicts the famous dog waiting by the Shibuya Station railway and holding Ueno's hat in his mouth. On November 10, 2023, the Japanese people commemorated what would have been Hachikō's 100th birthday. Events included visits to the Shibuya Station, songs, and dances. A holographic display of Hachikō was installed at the Akita Dog Visitor Center in Odate, Akita Prefecture, greeting guests who came by to celebrate his birth.

Reunion of Hachikō's family

On May 19, 2016, during the ceremony at the Aoyama Cemetery with both Ueno and Sakano families in present, some of the ashes of Yaeko Sakano were buried with Ueno and Hachikō, her name and the date of her death was inscribed on the side of his tombstone, thus fulfilling the reunion of Hachikō's family.''"By putting the names of both on their grave, we can show future generations the fact that Hachikō had two keepers,"'' Shiozawa said. ''"To Hachikō the professor was his father, and Yaeko was his mother,"'' Matsui added.

Gallery

File:Stuffed production of Hachiko Scan10038.JPG, Stuffing of Hachikō
File:Hachiko Stuffed specimen.jpg, Hachikō's taxidermied fur exhibited at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno
File:Front of the Statue of Hachikō, from The Holidays in Tōkyō - Shibuya, Tōkyō - 1954 - Hayashi Tadahiko.png, Close up of the statue in 1954

In media

Hachikō plays an important part in the 1967 children's book ''Taka-chan and I: A Dog's Journey to Japan''.

Hachikō was the subject of the 1987 film {{nihongo3, "The Tale of Hachikō", ハチ公物語, Hachikō Monogatari{{IMDb title, qid=Q1750530, title=Hachikō Monogatari. directed by Seijirō Kōyama, which told the story of his life from his birth up until his death and had spiritual reunion with his master. Considered a blockbuster success, the film was the last big hit for Japanese film studio Shochiku Kinema Kenkyū-jo.

"Jurassic Bark" (2002), episode 7 of season 4 of the animated series ''Futurama'' has an extended homage to Hachikō, with Fry discovering the fossilized remains of his dog, Seymour. After Fry was frozen, Seymour is shown to have waited for Fry to return for 12 years outside Panucci's Pizza, where Fry worked, never disobeying his master's last command to wait for him.

Hachikō is also the subject of a 2004 children's book entitled: ''Hachikō: The True Story of a Loyal Dog'', written by Pamela S. Turner and illustrated by Yan Nascimbene. Another children's book, a short novel for readers of all ages called '' Hachiko Waits'', written by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Machiyo Kodaira, was published by Henry Holt & Co. in 2004. Another illustrated book about the faithful dog is: ''Hachikō: The Dog that Waited'', by Catalan author Lluís Prats and Polish illustrator Zuzanna Celej, published in 2022.

In the Japanese manga ''One Piece'', there is a similar story with a dog named Shushu.

In the video game: '' The World Ends with You'' (2007), the Hachikō statue is featured, it's referenced on several occasions. The location of the statue plays a role in the narrative of the game. The statue is featured again in the sequel: '' Neo: The World Ends with You'' (2021).

'' Hachi: A Dog's Tale'' (released August 2009), is an American movie starring actor Richard Gere, directed by Lasse Hallström, about Hachikō and his relationship with an American professor & his family following the same story, but different, for example Hachikō was a gift to professor Ueno, this part is entirely different in the American version. The movie was filmed in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, primarily in and around the Woonsocket Depot Square area and also featured Joan Allen and Jason Alexander. The role of Hachi was played by three Akitas: Leyla, Chico, and Forrest. Mark Harden describes how he and his team trained the three dogs in the book: ''"Animal Stars: Behind the Scenes with Your Favorite Animal Actors."'' After the movie was completed, Harden adopted Chico.

The 2015 Telugu film, ''Tommy'', was based on the story of Hachikō.{{Cite web, title=Tommy Telugu Movie Review, Rating, url=https://www.indiaherald.com/Movies/Read/81368/Related-Content-URL, access-date=2020-10-10, website=APHerald ndhra Pradesh Heraldlanguage=en

Similar cases

{{Main, List of individual dogs#Faithful after owner's death

See also

* Argos (dog)
* Balto
* Fido (Italian dog)
* Greyfriars Bobby
* Jurassic Bark
*List of individual dogs
* Loyalty (monument)
*"Man's best friend"
* Nipro Hachiko Dome
* Pet ownership in Japan
*'' Stargazing Dog''
* Togo (dog)
* Shep (American dog)
{{Portal bar, Tokyo, Dogs

References

{{Reflist, 30em

Further reading

* {{cite book , title=Hachi: The Truth of the Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan , publisher=Amazon.com Kindle E-book, first1=Mayumi , last1=Itoh , year=2013 , asin=B00BNBWDQ4
* {{cite book , title=Empire of Dogs: Canines, Japan, and the Making of the Modern Imperial World , series=Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute , publisher=Columbia University , first1=Aaron Herald , last1=Skabelund , isbn=978-0-8014-5025-9 , year=2011 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zovKIQO6aEYC
*{{cite book , title=Hachi&Friends , publisher=Amazon.com , first1=Anastasia , last1=Ormeron , year=2021 , asin=B0921HP6MG

External links

{{Commons
* {{cite web , url=http://www.berfrois.com/2011/09/aaron-herald-skabelund-hachiko/ , title=Canine Imperialism , first1=Aaron Herald , last1=Skabelund , publisher=Berfrois , date=23 September 2011 , access-date=28 October 2011

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1923 animal births
1935 animal deaths
Dog monuments
Cultural history of Japan
Statues in Japan
1930s in Japan
Individual dogs in Japan
Individual taxidermy exhibits
Deaths from cancer in Japan
Pets in Japan
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