With love, loyalty, and friendship being reduced to mere word exchanges in the world, they have no true meaning whatsoever in expressing what they actually mean. Despite all the development Humans have forgotten how to express their affection genuinely. Animals, on the other hand, have more compassion and love and undying loyalty. Today we want to tell you the story of Hachi the epitome of love, loyalty, and friendship. Be prepared to be amazed at Hachis story of love and also be prepared to cry as you read through.
Our Dog Hachiko ( Breed Akita ) was born in November of 1923 in Ōdate city in Akita Prefecture( from where the breed gets its name ), Japan. These were times when not much was know about the breed. About year into his birth Hachiko was adopted by professor Hidesaburō Ueno who was teaching at agriculture department of the University of Tokyo. He was looking at getting an Akita puppy for himself and was urged by a student to adopt Hachiko. He called him Hachi. The two formed a very strong bond and son became inseparable. The professor had to commute in the train from Shibuya Station near his house to the University. Every morning Hachi would go with him all the way to the train station see him off and then return home. Later in the evening when the professor alighted at the same station after work, he would find an eager Hachi waiting for him there to receive him and they would go home together
This became Hatchi’s regular routine and one regular evening on May 21st, 1925 Hachi went to the station to receive the professor but he never showed up. Professor Ueno has suffered a cerebral Hammoraghe and had died in the university early that day
Unaware of this Hachi waited for long and when he didn’t find his owner till late evening, he returned home.Hachi was adopted by the family gardener Kikuzaboro Kobayashi and moved in with him, but his love and affection for the professor was so undying that every day he would visit the station in the evenings expecting the professor would return from work.
Not one day or two days, Hachi went to the station every day for Nine Years, Nine months and Fifteen days till his death
During these patient waits, a lot of commuters observed Hachi, these were daily commuters who had earlier seen Hachi and the professor together earlier. Not many would come near Hachi till his story got published in a daily, after which a few started bringing treats for him. The article about Hachikō’s remarkable loyalty and love for his master was documented by none other than Professor Ueno’s student Hirokichi Saito. Saito had observed Hachi waiting in the station and decide to follow him one day. He ended up where the gardener Kikuzaboro Kobayashi lived. After speaking to him, he found that Hachi has taken upon himself to visit the station every day. Hirokichi published the story of Hachi in a Japanese daily and the story spread like wildfire. Over the next several years Hirokichi kept visiting Hachi in the station and published several articles about Hachi’s incredible loyalty and love for his Professor.
He was also given a name Chuken-Hachiko“, which in Japanese means “Hachiko — the faithful dog
One evening on March 8, 1935, Hachi made his final visit to the station. Having found that the professor hadn’t come that day too, he made his way back home. A few feet away from the station he collapsed on the street and breathed his last. Doctors later confirmed that Hachi was suffering from a filarial infection and terminal cancer. He was 11 when he finally met his Professor out of this world.
Just a year before his death a bronze statue was erected in the station to recognize his loyalty and also to create awareness about the breed Akita. At Shibuya station, there is a Paw etched on the exact place where Hachi used to wait and written in Japanese is his life story. A monument for Hachiko was erected next to his owner`s tomb in Aoyama cemetery in Tokyo. There is also an Akita Dog Museum in Odate City Japan which tell you the stories of Akita dogs and Hachi in special. See the webpage here
Even today the stuffed and mounted remains of Hachikō are preserved at National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo
Over the years several books and articles have been written on Hachiko and several movies made including the famous movie in Hollywood, Hachi- A dogs story featuring Richard Gere
Dear Hachi, we are happy your wait is over and you are now playing happily with the Professor. We miss you dearly and wait for you to come back, the world needs love and who better to remind us of that than you
Originally published at www.pawedy.com on October 25, 2018.
