WHO IS HACHIKO (ハチ公).
Most people know the story of Hachi (Hachiko dog), the loyal Akita dog who waited for his owner many years after his death. Many tourists and even Japanese visit the statue of Hachi at Shibuya Station in Tokyo.
HISTORY OF HACHIKO DOG
In 1924, Hidesaburo Ueno, a teacher at Tokyo University, adopted an Akita puppy as a pet and decided to name it Hachi. Hachiel meaning is a Japanese word for the number 8, considered good luck there.
Hachi used to accompany Professor Ueno to Shibuya Station every morning, where his owner took the train to work. In the afternoons, Hachi would pick him up at the station and they would walk back to the house together. One morning in May 1925, Hachi accompanied Professor Ueno to the station, as he always did every day, but that fateful afternoon Ueno did not return; he died at the university of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Unconscious of his owner’s demise, Hachi- ko continued to return to Shibuya Station every day to wait for him. The public tried to take Hachiko away, but he constantly fled to visit Shibuya Station.
In the end, he moved into the Ueno gardener’s house, quite close to the site. However, this did not stop him from returning every day at exactly the same time as his owner returned.
The station staff and locals were not entirely happy with a “stray dog” guarding the surroundings, so they tried to keep him away in numerous situations. However, nothing managed to stop Hachi from returning the next day.
Hachi became popular after one of Master Ueno’s students heard his story and wrote it down. The Akita has been earmarked as a national icon of loyalty, following the publication of his story in the 1930’s. Afterwards, the population added the suffix “ko” (a word denoting affection), in recognition of his loyalty. He is now known as Hachiko.
Hachiko continued to wait for his owner every day for about 10 years until his own death in March 1935.
HOW HACHIKO DOG DIED
On March 9, 1935, Hachikō was found dead in front of Shibuya Station, Japan, after waiting unsuccessfully for his master for more than 10 years. A monolith bearing his name was erected next to Professor Ueno’s grave in Aoyama Cemetery, Minmi-Aoyama, Minato-Ku, Tokyo.
After an autopsy (for taxidermy), 4 yakitori (skewered chicken skewers) sticks were found, but these sticks did not damage the stomach wall, so they were not the cause of death. It has always been thought that the cause of Hachiko’s death is still unclear, and it was not until March 2011 that it was clearly concluded that the dog’s heart had advanced cancer and filariasis (worm infection).
Hachiko’s body, was dissected and kept at the Museum of Natural Science in the Ueno district of Tokyo.
Did you get excited? Just thinking about it, or remembering something about Hachiko, makes my eyes water… Because of this and his loyalty and love to his owner, he deserves to know much more about him, in this article we will show you places to visit.
PLACES IN JAPAN WHERE TO SEE HACHIKO DOG
Let’s go see our hachiko shibuya and more:
1. SHIBUYA STATION WITH HACHIKO STATUE (hachiko dog)
The famous bronze statue of Hachi is located just in front of the Hachiko Exit (Exit number 8 of the station) visibly named in his honor.
Reportedly, that was his daily waiting place, that exit of the station. Many people take pictures and selfies with the statue and sometimes fill it with ornaments, scarves, hats…
CURIOSITY #1: Did you know that this statue in Shibuya is not the original? The original statue was unveiled in 1934, one year before Hachi’s death. Hachiko was even present once the statue was shown to the world. The original version has been melted down and reused throughout the Second World War…
CURIOSITY #2: In 1948, Takeshi Ando, created the statue that now stands in Shibuya Station.
CURIOSITY #3: It is said that there was a freezing night in 2014, where all the trains stopped due to the heavy snowfall, so many people were trapped in Shibuya station. It seems they told the story of Hachiko, and some of them collaborated outside to make a snow replica of Hachiko. (shibuya hachiko)
CURIOSITY #4: Dog and/or Hachiko lovers celebrate every March 8th, the day Hachi died (curious yes, his name is 8 and he died on an 8), by bringing him gifts, flowers, and decorating him, as a symbol to give him peace, and that somehow he knows he is not alone.
CURIOSITY #5: If you walk around a bit you can find a small replica of the famous statue in front of the Tower Records store in Shibuya.
CURIOSITY #6: Inside Shibuya Station, in the subway passage, you will find some stickers of footprints of the faithful dog Hachiko.
2. HACHIKO’S COLORFUL MOSAIC AT SHIBUYA STATION IN TOKYO
A huge colorful wall mosaic is located to the right of the station, opposite the Hachiko exit, located in the plaza. It shows the wall decorated with several relief mosaics of Hachiko in different poses, as well as other Akita puppies and dogs. A few meters away is the most famous square for meeting friends.
3. MANHOLE COVERS NEAR SHIBUYA STATION
The manhole covers in the square near the mosaic and Shibuya station, have a Hachiko, designed in his honor with a traditional Japanese graphic style. They are steel covers to immortalize this faithful dog.
4. UENO NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE
To find it you just have to look for the plaque that says “Akita dog (Hachi)”, (yes, it only says that, there are no other references), so you probably think that the taxidermy exhibited together with two other dogs (one of them is Jiro) is just a random Akita dog. But it is the body of the real Hachiko! At least his own skin, stuffed and kept in this museum, as it is known that his other remains were buried in the Aoyama cemetery next to his master. Many people don’t know that he is made in the total image and likeness of the original Hachiko, so when they see the plaque, they pass him by.
Hachiko is on display along with Jiro, another national hero. Jiro is one of two Sakhalin Huskies (Japanese sled dog breed), famous for being the only two dogs to survive a year in Antarctica after being abandoned during a failed expedition to the South Pole.
5. THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO AT UENO
In 2015, the University of Tokyo put a statue, in memory of Professor Ueno and his popular dog Hachiko. In the same year 2015, the 80th anniversary of Hachiko’s death was celebrated. In Japan, 80 is pronounced hachi-juu, thus that it has been a particular year for Hachi.
The statue shows Professor Ueno and Hachi, finally reunited. The campus is open to visitors and the statue is located just to one side of the entrance. And there are headlights illuminating it at night, if you’ve seen the movie, we’re sure some excitement will arise. The statue is located next to the Campus No-Seimon Gate, which can be accessed from Ueno.
CURIOSITY: The archive of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, displays some of Hachi’s preserved organs (he was dissected after his death). His organs were re-examined in 2011 to investigate the cause of his death.
6. AOYAMA CEMETERY
Burying animals in a human cemetery is not a fairly common practice in Japan, or almost anywhere. However, in Hachi’s situation, it could not be otherwise. He needed to be reunited with his beloved owner and teacher Ueno, after having longed 10 years for that moment. An exclusion in law was achieved. He has been buried and laid to rest next to his owner in Aoyama Cemetery.
Part of his remains (his skin) is stuffed and kept at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
You can visit them in spring, taking advantage of the cherry blossom, as the place is full of them, and you will have an emotional and colorful walk.
- If you then travel to the Kyoto area, you can visit Nara, which is beautiful in cherry blossom season.
CURIOSITY: Even today they bring him sandwiches as an offering and place them in front of the mausoleum in the shape of a dog house, and they bring flowers to the owner.
7. ODATE CITY IN AKITA
Hachi was born on a farm near the town of Odate in Akita, Hachiko being a purebred Akita. The city prides itself on being the birthplace of the famous dog so you can find Hachi statues, stuff and comics everywhere you go of this famous dog.
CURIOSITY #1: In front of Odate station, there is another well-known statue of Hachi, showing Hachiko as a child. The original was built two months after the Shibuya statue and suffered the same fate throughout World War II. It was rebuilt in the same year as the Shibuya Hachi.
CURIOSITY #2: Locals tried to get the Hachiko statue from Shibuya to Akita, because they wanted Hachi to come home. In 2004, Akita Prefecture displayed a Hachi, built from the same stone mold as the original statue, in front of the Akita Dog Museum in Odate.
CURIOSITY #3: There is an airport called Akita airport, and in it there is a Hachi souvenir store.
CURIOSITIES OF HACHIKO IN ANIME
SPOILER WARNING
- DIGIMON ADVENTURE: In episode 33, called “Punkimon and Gotsumon”, homage is paid to Hachiko. At minute 16:13 of the link we gave you of the Japanese version, two girls appear talking about becoming Hachiko, and later in that minute Patamon is seen on top of a tree, and underneath the statue of Hachiko.
ONE PIECE. HACHIKO’S REFERENCES ARE SHOWN 3 TIMES:
- In episode 6 of the anime, a dog named Shushu (シュシュ) appears, waiting for his deceased owner at the pet food store. He tells the story of when the latter was a puppy, the owner opened a store along with him. The owner ends up getting sick, and goes to the hospital leaving Shushu guarding the store. The owner eventually passes away and Shushu is left waiting for his owner while he guards and protects the store for many years.
- Episode 62 and 63 features an island whale named Laboon (ラブーン, ‘Rabūn’) who remains at the entrance of the Red Line, along with his caretaker Crocus. Laboon lost his family, surfing the waters he encountered faithful companions called the Rumbar Pirates so much so that he waited for them for 50 years as he slammed hard against the walls of Red Line suffering serious injuries so Crocus went inside to keep him in health.
- In episode 228 a sumo wrestling frog named Yokozuna (ヨコヅナ) appears, a friend of the legendary carpenter Tom until his execution. In episode 248 to 250, it is explained that she was the mascot of “Tom’s Workers”, the carpenter company that was in charge of the construction of the first Umi Ressha. After Tom was arrested by the Navy, Franky tried to stop the railroad, escorted it barehanded and was shot down. Yokozuna was worried about this incident and thought that his friend had passed away, from that day on he confronted Umi Ressha and replayed this scene. Yokozuna cares a lot about his friends and family. He is very loyal to Franky, as was Hachiko, who taught swimming when he was a teenager. He kept swimming through the waters of Water 7 on the Ocean Railway trails, trying to stop him. This habit occurs because he wants to become stronger so he doesn’t lose any of the rest of his loved ones.
IN OTHER ANIME:
- GHOST SWEEPER MIKAMI: In one of the episodes of the anime it talks about the story of a ghost dog named Kojirô, of the same breed as Hachiko, an akita. He is later abandoned by his master when he was small waiting for his return faithfully just as Hachi did, even after death.
- DORAEMON: In chapter 664 Doraemon uses a robot called Paa the Faithful Dog (same name as the chapter). This robot protects Nobita from attackers, but goes crazy when he sees Nobita being scolded by his mother.
- ZOIDS: CHAOTIC CENTURY: In chapter 3, it begins with an abandoned military fort, which holds a story from its past: the Zoid, named Gordus, is discovered in some archives by Bang, Sieg and Fine, whom he saved from Irvine. These files said that the Zoid was abandoned by some military men in the fort 50 years ago, and Gordus was still waiting for them and that he will not leave even if he has to wait 50 more years.
- FUTURAMA: In the episode “Jurassic Bark”, Fry finds the fossilized remains of his dog, Seymour. Thanks to the technology of the 3,000s, Fry has the chance to clone him, but stops the process when he learns that his dog had lived many more years after he disappeared. The end of the episode is a clear homage and parallelism to the real story of Hachiko as it shows how Seymour was waiting at the entrance of the pizzeria where he worked for 12 year
- TEGAMI BACHI: In episode 17, there is a raccoon-dog named Darwin (whose name means “faithful friend”), who is the dingo of Elena Blanc, a Letter Bee. Lag Seeing, the protagonist of the anime, is tasked with delivering a package to Elena by playing her guide Darwin. Lag ends up discovering that Elena had died 10 years ago, killed by a Gaichuu.
- GOLDEN TIME: In episode 7, Koko makes a comment to Banri Tada related to Hachiko, referring to the loyalty with which she had been waiting for him that day. During the episode, footage of Hachiko’s statue in Shibuya, Tokyo can be seen.
- AO NO EXORCIST (BLUE EXORCIST): Kuro was the demon cat of Shiro Fujimoto, a priest and foster father of Rin and Yukio Okumura. He was left guarding the entrance of Vera Cruz Academy on Shiro’s orders. When he learns that his master is dead, he goes berserk and starts attacking. When Rin appears, he tries to convince him that his master will not return and ends up staying by his side.
- NANA: In the series Nana Ōsaki usually calls Nana Komatsu “Hachi” in view of the fact that she usually behaves as “A faithful dog” to people who care about her, as the real Hachiko did.
