The Story Behind The Hachiko Statue

The Story Behind The Hachiko Statue

There is a statue near the Shibuya, Tokyo train station dedicated to an Akita dog named Hachiko. Why a statue honoring a dog? Well, the story goes like this:

Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo brought Hachiko to Tokyo in 1924. Each day, Hachiko would see his master off to work at the university at the front door and would wait for Prof. Ueno's return at the nearby Shibuya train station.

This routine continued until Prof. Ueno suffered a fatal stroke at the university in May 1925 and didn't return on the train. Hachiko continued to wait at the train station each evening, even after he was given away to a new master. Hachiko would escape and head to the train station.

People noticed him waiting for Prof. Ueno and their hearts were touched. This continued for 10 years after the professor's passing until Hachiko passed away on March 8, 1935, of filariasis (heartworm). His stuffed and mounted remains are kept at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo (below).


Photo courtesy of Muramasa, Muramasa.

People in Japan, and around the world, were so touched by Hachiko's devotion to his master that a collection was taken up (including contributions from other countries) to erect a statue at Shibuya Station honoring Hachiko in April 1934. Hachiko was present for the statue's unveiling.



The original statue was melted down for munitions during World War II, but it was replaced in 1948. The Hachiko statue is a favorite meeting place in Tokyo.

After my arrival in Japan on my first trip there in November 2001, Richard Pusateri and I agreed to meet up at the Hachiko statue. Below is the first photo of my first trip to Japan.



UPDATE (3/19/09): Fuji TV is planning to place another statue of Hachiko in front of their headquarters in Odaiba, Tokyo.