The Surprising and True Story of Hachiko

Have you heard of Hachiko? NO? I didn't until I got to Tokyo. If you've been to Japan, you've probably heard of it.

Hachiko is Japan's national hero! The dog is so famous that many movies have been made about it.

Tokyo has a bronze statue of him next to the Shibuya train station, and hundreds of people visit it every day.

Even Hollywood has made a movie about Hachiko! There is a statue of him at Rhode Island in the USA where the American version of the film was made.

So why is the Hachiko story so famous you may wonder? Well, I am happy you asked because here I will give you the amazing, real and very sad story about Hachiko the dog. ♥

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A DOG NAMED HACHIKO

Eisaburo Ueno, a professor of agriculture at the University of Tokyo in Japan, wanted a purebred Japanese Akita. She searched for the perfect Akita puppy for a long time until one of her students encouraged her to adopt Hachiko from Odate City, Akita Prefecture, Japan.

Hachiko, or as Hachiko's nickname became, soon became good friends with its new owner. Eizaburo's favorite thing is his dog, who treats him like his own son. The two cannot be separated from each other.

As Hachiko grew older, he began dropping his master at the Shibuya Train Station in central Tokyo in the morning and picking him up at the station in the afternoon when his master returned from work.

On May 21, 1925, just two years after Hachiko's birth, Hachiko was waiting as usual for his lover Eizaburo at the Shibuya train station. But his master never appeared...

It turned out that Yingsaburo suffered brain damage during the operation and died instantly.

Hachiko moves in with a former farmer from the Ueno family. But for the remaining ten years of his life, he went to the Shibuya train station every morning and afternoon when the train came. He sat there for hours, patiently waiting in vain for the return of his beloved master, who unfortunately did not return.

n 1932, a reporter from a major Japanese newspaper relayed and published Hachiko's story, making Hachiko famous in Japan.

People started calling him "Chuken-Hachiko" which means "The right dog Hachiko".

The dog's story of not giving up attracted national media attention and encouraged many people from all over the world to visit and treat Hachiko at the Shibuya train station. He touched the hearts of the Japanese people and soon became their hero.

Hachiko Dog Statue In Tokyo

In 1934, the grand opening ceremony of the statue of Hachiko was held in front of the Shibuya railway station and the guest was Hachiko.

On March 8, 1935, Hachiko died quietly and alone in the street near the Shibuya train station.

Hachiko is currently on display at the National Science Museum in Ueno, Tokyo.

There is also a monument to Hachiko next to the master's tomb at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.

Today, the bronze statue of Hachiko is a popular attraction, especially among young Japanese, outside the Shibuya train station.

Tokyo built two bronze statues of Hachiko. First, II. It was mined and melted down to become a source of steel during World War II.

There is also a large and beautiful Hachiko mosaic artwork on the wall of Shibuya Station:

Akita Hachiko Dog Museum

There is even an Akita Inu Museum in Japan dedicated to the world's most famous Akita dog, Hachiko. It is located in Odate, Akita Prefecture, Japan. The museum is a must for animal lovers!

Here you can learn everything about Akita and Hachiko, meet two lovely Akitas and play games at the museum on weekdays. Have a great time!

The museum is open daily from 09:00 (09:00) to 16:00 (16:00) from mid-April to November.

If you love Akita dogs, especially Hachiko, you should definitely visit this museum. Buy e-tickets here and enjoy the discount.

Address: 13-1 Aza Sannomaru Ōdate City, Akita, Japan

Opening hours: Mid-April to November, 09:00 (9:00) - 16:00 (16:00)

Akita Hachia Museum web page