Hachiko the true story of a loyal dog.

2 years ago
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Hachiko the true story of a loyal dog.
The true story of Hachiko begins with the enduring bond between Hachiko and his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno. Although Hachiko lived in the 20th century, his story continues to inspire people around the world to this day. The telling of the Hachiko story has resulted in several Hachiko memorials and even a Hachiko movie that documents the story of the incredible bond that formed between Hachiko and Ueno.
Hachiko was an Akita Inu dog born on a farm in 1923 and later adopted by Hidesaburo Ueno, an agriculture professor at the University of Tokyo. The two fell into a daily routine: Ueno and Hachiko would walk together to Shibuya train station, where Ueno would say goodbye to Hachiko before boarding the train for work. Hachiko, who also became known as Hachi, would spend the day waiting for Ueno to return. Meanwhile, local shopkeepers and station employees would keep an eye on him and often give him treats while he kept his vigil for Ueno.
This routine continued for several years until one day, tragedy struck. Ueno never returned from work, as he suffered a brain hemorrhage and died. Of course, Hati had no idea about this, so the loyal dog continued to wait for his master's return. Every day like clockwork, when the train appeared, so did Hachi, looking for Ueno. Hachi's loyalty earned him the nickname "the faithful dog".
Hachi never gave up hope and continued to wait for more than nine years for his master's return. Finally, one morning on March 8, 1935, Hachiko was found dead. It is believed that he died of natural causes. His body was taken to the baggage room at the train station, a place that had been one of his favorite meeting places. He was then photographed, surrounded by Ueno's wife Yaeko, as well as station employees. Yoshizo Osawa, one of the staff members, presented the photo to one of his daughters, who recalled that her father loved dogs and used to tell her about how Hachi went to the station every day, where the staff happily shared their lunches with him.
Although Hachiko's life ended decades ago, his story lives on. After Hachiko's death, his body was preserved and placed in the Japan National Science Museum in Tokyo. In addition, a monument of Hachiko was placed next to his owner's grave in Tokyo's Aoyama Cemetery.
Because Hachi remained loyal to his master until Hachi's death, a bronze statue of Hachiko was erected outside Shibuya Station as a tribute to the dog. Unfortunately, this statue was destroyed during World War II. Although the original Hachiko dog statue could not be restored, a new one replaced it in the same exact spot at the end of the war in 1948. The site has become a popular and beloved neighborhood park where tourists can honor and admire the unconditional love of this loyal dog.
This Hachiko statue is not the only memorial that honors this amazing dog. The entrance to the station closest to the statue has been renamed "Hachikō-guchi" or "Hachikō's entrance/exit" in Japanese. In addition, one of the train lines has also been named the Hachiko Line.
In honor of the 80th year of Hachiko's death and the 90th anniversary of the death of Hachiko's owner, Ueno, a bronze statue of Hachiko meeting with Ueno was unveiled on March 8, 2015. The statue was placed outside the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, where Ueno was a professor.
In 2009, a movie called Hachi: A Dog's Tale was released. This is a movie based on the true story of Hachiko's unconditional love for his master. While the dog film Hachiko might be considered touching, those who have seen it agree that it perfectly captures the extraordinary devotion of a dog to its master.
The story of the loyal Hachiko continues to be remembered and loved by people all over the world. It truly shows the love and care that a dog shares with its human.

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