Hachikō is a very famous dog known for his loyalty and love. He became well-known not just in Japan but around the world. He was born in 1923 and adopted by a professor named Hidesaburō Ueno. The professor and Hachikō lived in Tokyo, and every day, Hachikō would wait for his owner at the train station. Sadly, one day, the professor didn’t come back because he passed away. Even after that, Hachikō kept waiting for him. Now, we have some special pictures of Hachikō to share with you.
Hachikō’s name is known by people from all around the world
He went down in history as the most loyal pet
This went on for the next nine years, nine months, and fifteen days—Hachikō would patiently wait for his owner at the same train station every day. Each day, at the same time, that Hidesaburō Ueno’s train was due at the station.
After his owner’s death in 1925, Hachikō would still wait for him every day at the train station
Hachikō would go there every day at the same time that his owner would have come back after work.
People who traveled on the train noticed the cute dog, especially those who had seen him and his owner, Hidesaburō, walking together from the station. At first, not everyone was friendly. However, things changed on October 4, 1932, when the first article about Hachikō was published. After that, many people all over the country started paying attention to Hachikō. People would often bring him food and treats. You can see pictures of the loyal Akita in old photos from various publications at that time.
In 1932, the first article was published about the loyal pet in a national newspaper
The article was written by one of Hidesaburō Ueno’s former students. The student was writing a thesis on the Akita breed of dogs and upon seeing one of such at the station, he followed Hachikō home—to Kuzaboro Kobayashi, the former gardener of the late professor. The student learned the life story of Hachikō from Kuzaboro and shortly thereafter published a documented census of Akitas in Japan. According to the research, only 30 purebred Akitas remained living in Japan, one of whom was Hachikō from Shibuya Station.