Not many dogs can claim to have statues built in their honour but Hachikō, a white Japanese Akita, has been memorialised in everything from a life size bronze statue, to books, to a movie starring Richard Gere – and with good reason. This loyal Akita from Japan is perhaps one of the most famous examples of canine loyalty.
‘Layla’ during her pawesome potrayal of Hachikō alongside Richard Gere in ‘Hachi: A Dog’s Tail’.
Hachikō was born in late 1923 in the city of Odate in Akita prefecture in Japan, the original home of Akitas. “Hachi” arrived by train to Hidesaburo Ueno, a renowned agricultural professor and his wife Yae, in January 1924 but arrived in poor health due to the arduous train journey he had endured. Ueno and Yae nursed Hachi back to health over the next 6 months and they formed a special bond.
Hachikō would accompany his owner, Ueno to the train station every morning where Ueno would take the train to the University he lectured at. Hachikō would be waiting for Dr Ueno upon his return in the evening and they would walk home together.
This routine continued for about 16 months until on the On 21 May 1925, Ueno, then 53, died of a cerebral haemorrhage whilst at work. On that fateful day, Hachi was as usual waiting for his beloved owner at the train station but Ueno never stepped off the train to greet his best friend.
Japanese Akitas are know to be a very independent breed but are also often just as loyal to their human
It is said that at the wake Hachi crawled under Ueno’s coffin and refused to move. As Yae was Ueno’s common-law wife, she could not inherit their Shibuya home and moved into smaller, rented accommodation. Hachi was taken in by a friend of hers but after the move, Hachi sometimes tried to return to Shibuya Station, some eight kilometers away.
He later lived with other relations but never stopped trying to reach Shibuya. Ueno’s former gardener, Kobayashi Kikuzaburō, who lived close to Ueno’s former home in Shibuya, learned of Hachi’s plight and took him in.
Having now returned to the area where his former owner lived, Hachi began returning to the train station, every morning and evening, sun, rain or snow.
Hachi was known to stand at the ticket gate studying passengers every evening as they disembarked, waiting for Ueno to return.
For ten years.
Ten years.
Hachi achieved widespread fame in 1932 when a large Tokyo newspaper wrote about him and the station began receiving donations of food, while visitors came from far and wide to see him. Poems and haikus were written about him.
A bronze statue was built of Hachi outside the Shibuya Station entrance in 1934 with Hachi even present at its unveiling!
Hachi passed away on the 8th March 1935 and every year on the 8th of April, a memorial service is held outside Shibuya Station where his bronze statue stands in eternal wait for his cherished friend to step back off the train and walk him home.
The last known photo of Hachi; shortly after he closed his eyes one last time in March 1935. In this colourised version of the photo, you can see employees of Shibuya Station and and his owner’s widow, Yae (second from right), mourn the loss of one of their country’s most loyal creatures.
While Hachi may have lived over 100 years ago, this selfless display of unconditional, devoted love is timeless and Hachi’s story will live on forever.