The story of Hachiko is so famous and popular in Japan that it has been told to children for decades as an example of dedication and loyalty to strive for. Two films have also been made about this dog, one came out in 1987 and the second in 2009.
Hachiko's life before the tragedy
Hachiko is a Japanese Akita Inu dog. His name means "the eighth" and, unlike the "seventh" (Nana), symbolizes happiness. Hachiko was born in Akita Prefecture on November 10, 1923. The man on whose farm this puppy was born gave it to Ueno Hidesaburo, a professor of agriculture who taught at the University of Tokyo in 1924.
Hachiko very quickly got used to his new master. He accompanied him to Shibuya station, from where Ueno left for work, and after the end of the working day he met him at the entrance to the same station and walked home with the owner. Passengers who took the professor's train every day, as well as station workers and salespeople, were accustomed to always seeing the professor and his dog together.
On May 21, 1925, Professor Ueno did not return home. When he was at university, he had a heart attack and the doctors were unable to save him. On that day, Hachiko did not wait for his master. He remained at the station until evening, after which he went to spend the night on the porch to the professor's house.
How Hachiko died
Relatives and friends of Professor Ueno tried to take the dog home to take care of it, but Hachiko ran to the station every day and stayed there, waiting for his master. The passengers and workers at Shibuya Station soon learned about what had happened to Ueno. They understood that it was no longer possible to find another owner for Hachiko and were amazed at the loyalty of the dog, who spent a lot of time every day in his usual place in the hope that the professor would return soon. People fed Hachiko, brought him water, took care of him.
In 1932, journalists learned the sad story of the dog, and the story of Hachiko appeared in the newspapers. Two years later, a monument was erected to a faithful friend of Professor Ueno, and the dog himself was present during its installation. Alas, during the war, this monument was melted down, but in 1948 it was made and installed again.
The story of a dog, faithfully awaiting the return of its owner, won the hearts of the Japanese. Hundreds of people came to Shibuya Station to see the dog with their own eyes.
Hachiko had been waiting for his master at the station for 9 years. He died in March 1935. Among the causes of his death are cancer in the last stage and infection of heartworms with filariae. By this time, his story had become so famous that mourning was declared in Japan, and after cremation, Hachiko himself was buried in a place of honor in a pet cemetery.
