Little known facts about Hachiko - a dog that has been waiting for its owner for 10 years at the station platform

Referring to the name Hachiko, many people are no longer strange. This is a real famous dog in Japan. Hachiko is an Akita dog, born on November 10, 1923 on a farm in Akita Prefecture. Then, it was brought to Tokyo by its owner, Hidesaburo Ueno - a professor of agriculture at Tokyo Imperial University. For many years, Hachiko would go to Shibuya station every afternoon to wait for his master to come home from work.

The film Hachiko (2009) adapted by Hollywood

On May 21, 1925, Mr. Ueno died suddenly from a stroke while teaching. It was the first day at 3 pm, Hachiko did not see the familiar figure of the owner at the train station gate. But since then, every afternoon, the loyal dog still runs to the door of Shibuya station to wait for his owner to return, waiting in vain for a miracle. This journey lasted for 9 years and 9 months, until the day Hachiko himself passed away on March 8, 1935.

The very touching story of Hachiko the dog was spread throughout Japan and was later made into a famous movie. At this Shibuya station in the center of Tokyo, there is still a statue of Hachiko to commemorate this loyal dog. However, there are still quite a few other interesting facts about Hachiko that not everyone knows.

1. Hachiko isn't his real name

Hachiko is a purebred Akita dog born in Odate city, Akita prefecture. Hachiko was sold for 30 yen to Hidesaburo Ueno. This was quite a large amount of money at that time. In the current city of Odate, there is also a statue of Hachiko located in front of the largest central station.

Because Hachiko was transported on an express train to Tokyo at 8 p.m., Professor Ueno named his dog Hachi, which means 8 in Japanese. Only later, when he died and became famous, people added the suffix "ko" to Hachi's name because this is a word to show respect in the Japanese naming. Over time, everyone called Hachi Hachiko.

Hachiko's photo with Ueno's family

2. Hachiko was taken to different families after the owner passed away

After Professor Ueno died, the family gave Hachiko to another place to raise. But no matter where he went, Hachiko still found a way to run to Shibuya station every afternoon. There were stations several miles from the station, but Hachiko persisted with his journey. After many changes of owners, it finally "settled" with a new owner, a gardener for Mr. Ueno during his life named Kikuzaburo Kobayashi. Since Kobayashi's family lives quite close to Shibuya station, Hachiko is more convenient to go there every afternoon.

Shibuya Station in the 1920s

Hachiko the dog patiently waits for his dead owner at Shibuya Station, Tokyo

3. Why did Hachiko's story go viral?

In 1932, when Hachiko was still alive, Mr. Hirokichi Saito - President of the Japan Dog Conservation Association heard a story about a dog waiting for its owner to die every day. Hirokichi Saito is a former student of Professor Ueno and an expert on the Akita breed.

He wrote this story in the magazine Asahi Shibum and it quickly spread throughout Japan because it moved people's hearts. Hachiko has grown in popularity ever since and is known as a symbol of loyalty.

The story of Hachiko was published in the Asahi Shimbun in 1932

4. Hachiko has become a tourist attraction dog for the locality

After being published in the newspaper, Hachiko was loved by the people of Japan. Since then, every day people come to Shibuya station not to take the train, but to meet Hachiko. Even, there are many people who are willing to travel long distances from other cities to Tokyo just to see the famous dog with their own eyes.

In 1934, a year before his death, Hachiko was sculpted and erected in the center of Shibuya Station. The creator of this famous statue is sculptor Teru Ando, ​​who is also a friend of President Hirokichi Saito. Hachiko's statue was destroyed in World War II. Later, it was Teru Ando's son who rebuilt the statue again.

Hachiko got the chance to attend the inauguration of his own statue

Statue of Hachiko today in the center of Tokyo

Hachiko's fur at the museum

Currently, the famous dog's organs are still kept at the University of Tokyo's Agricultural Faculty Museum. Hachiko's original coat is also on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science.