A Japanese Dog Waited For His Dead Owner To Return Home At A Train Station Every Single Night For 10 Years, Becoming A National Icon In The Process And Proving Just How Loyal Pups Can Really Be
Dogs truly have a special place in heaven. Their loyalty, companionship, and unconditional love often leave us humans in awe of their capacity for kindness.
One remarkable example of the unwavering devotion that our canine companions offer can be found in Hachikō, the Japanese dog. Every evening for 10 years, he waited for his dead owner to return from work.
Hachikō was a creamy white Akita Inu, and he was born over 100 years ago on November 10, 1923. The Akita is one of Japan’s oldest and most popular breeds. The Japanese government deemed the dog as a national icon in 1931. The breed was once trained to hunt animals such as elk and wild boar.
In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at Tokyo Imperial University, brought the puppy home with him in the Shibuya neighborhood of Tokyo.
In the mornings, they would walk to Shibuya Station together. Ueko would take the train to work. After he was done teaching his classes for the day, he took the train back and arrived at the station at three o’clock every afternoon, where Hachikō would be waiting.
One day in May 1985, their routine came to an end. While teaching, Ueko suffered a brain hemorrhage and died. That day, Hachikō showed up at their usual time, but the professor never got off the train.
The dog returned the next day. Once again, there was no sign of his owner. Still, he never gave up hope. Between 1925 and 1935, he regularly ran off to Shibuya Station even after he ended up with Ueko’s former gardener, Kikusaburo Kobayashi.
Soon, the dog began to attract the attention of other commuters. Initially, the station employees saw Hachikō as a nuisance, but eventually, they warmed up to him. They began to bring treats for him, and word spread of his faithfulness.
He became an icon in the local community of Shibuya. After a story detailing his loyalty was published in the daily newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, he gained nationwide fame.
Anastasiia – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual dog
Visitors from all over the country came to see Hachikō for themselves. He was regarded as a symbol of loyalty and good luck, representing the very embodiment of Japanese values. Poems were written in his honor.
On March 8, 1935, Hachikō was found dead on the streets of Shibuya. He died at the age of 11. It wasn’t until 2011 that scientists were able to determine the cause of his death. They concluded that he likely died of a filaria infection and cancer.
Hachikō’s passing made the front page of many newspapers. Some of his remains were placed next to Ueno’s grave in Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo. A bronze statue of him was erected in the spot where he used to wait for his owner. However, the statue had to be melted down for ammunition during World War Two soon after it went up.
In 1948, a new statue took its place, and it has stood outside Shibuya Station ever since. Statues of him are also located in Odate, Hisai, the University of Tokyo, and Rhode Island.
Hachikō has been immortalized in pop culture, where he served as the inspiration for various books, movies, and art. Every year on April 8, a memorial service for the dog is held outside of Shibuya Station.
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