I have read about Hachiko story since I was in elementary school (I know... ages ago!). This time in Tokyo, I am visiting the statue, enjoy the story after the jump!
In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture
department at the University of Tokyo, took Hachikō, a golden brown Akita, as a
pet. Ueno would commute daily to work, and Hachikō would leave the house to
greet him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair
continued the daily routine until May 1925, when Ueno did not return. The
professor had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, while he was giving a lecture,
and died without ever returning to the train station in which Hachikō would
wait.
Each day, for the next nine years, nine months and
fifteen days, Hachikō awaited Ueno's return, appearing precisely when the train
was due at the station.
Hachikō attracted the attention of other commuters. Many
of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachikō and
Professor Ueno together each day. Initial reactions from the people, especially
from those working at the station, were not necessarily friendly. However,
after the first appearance of the article about him on October 4, 1932 in Asahi
Shimbun, people started to bring Hachikō treats and food to nourish him during his
wait.
One of Ueno's students, Hirokichi Saito, who developed
expertise on the Akita breed, saw the dog at the station and followed him to
the Kobayashi home, the home of Ueno's former gardener, Kikuzaboro
Kobayashi,[6] where he learned the history of Hachikō's life. Shortly after the
meeting, the former student published a documented census of Akitas in Japan.
His research found only 30 purebred Akitas remaining, including Hachikō from
Shibuya Station.
He returned frequently to visit Hachikō, and over the
years he published several articles about the dog's remarkable loyalty. In
1932, one of his articles, published in Asahi Shimbun, placed the dog in the
national spotlight.
Hachikō became a national sensation. His faithfulness to
his master's memory impressed the people of Japan as a spirit of family loyalty
to which all should strive to achieve. Teachers and parents used Hachikō's
vigil as an example for children to follow. A well-known Japanese artist
rendered a sculpture of the dog, and throughout the country, a new awareness of
the Akita breed grew.
Last known photo of Hachikō - pictured with his owner's
wife Yaeko Ueno (front row, second from right) and station staff in mourning in
Tokyo on March 8, 1935.
Hachikō died on March 8, 1935 at the age of 11 based on
his date of birth. He was found on a street in Shibuya. In March 2011,
scientists finally settled the cause of death of Hachikō: the dog had both
terminal cancer and a filaria infection. There were also four yakitori skewers
in Hachikō's stomach, but the skewers did not damage his stomach or cause his
death.
After his death, Hachikō's remains were cremated and his
ashes were buried in Aoyama Cemetery, Minato, Tokyo where they rest beside
those of Hachikō's beloved master, Professor Ueno. Hachikō's fur, which was
preserved after his death, was stuffed and mounted and is now on permanent
display at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo.
In April 1934, a bronze statue in his likeness was
erected at Shibuya Station (35°39′32.6″N 139°42′2.1″E), and Hachikō himself was
present at its unveiling. The statue was recycled for the war effort during
World War II. In 1948, the Society for Recreating the Hachikō Statue
commissioned Takeshi Ando, son of the original artist, to make a second statue.
When the new statue appeared, a dedication ceremony occurred. The new statue,
which was erected in August 1948, still stands and is a popular meeting spot.
The station entrance near this statue is named "Hachikō-guchi",
meaning "The Hachikō Entrance/Exit", and is one of Shibuya Station's
five exits.
A similar statue stands in Hachikō's hometown, in front
of Ōdate Station. In 2004, a new statue of Hachikō was erected on the original
stone pedestal from Shibuya in front of the Akita Dog Museum in Odate.
(Source: Wikipedia)
thank you for stopping by and reading the post...
xxx
