Surely among us is no stranger to Hachiko – the dog has become the symbol of other dogs, the Japanese mascot representing the love and loyalty of this animal to humans – their best friends. On the occasion of the New Year – the year of the Dog, perhaps any of us will want to once again read the story about this dog.
Hachiko – a loving dog that has gone down in Japanese history.
When he was born in November 1923, this old Japanese purebred Akita dog was named Hachi. Hachi was packed into wooden crates and sent by train to the South for the new owner – Professor Hidesaburo Ueno, teaching at the prestigious Tokyo University. For many reasons, Professor Ueno chose to live a single life, he spent most of his life as a bachelor. spend his free time teaching and talking with Akita Hachi.
Dogs are animals that most clearly reflect the care of their owners. Carefully raised by Professor Ueno, Hachi quickly grew, puffy and somewhat fatter than other Akita dogs. This old, one dog couple often walks together on the road to the nearby Shibuya train station; Hachi the dog even waits for the owner to board the train and bring it back; and every 3 pm, when the ship docked, the wise Hachi was already there to welcome the owner, whether it was sunny or rainy in the summer afternoon or snow covered the yard.
Regularly, welcoming the owner has become an indispensable routine of little Hachi.
The happy days continued until one day, precisely the fateful May 21, 1925. Disaster struck when Professor Ueno suddenly suffered a stroke due to a brain hemorrhage while in the lecture hall. But does Hachi know that? The dog still happily ran to the station to pick up the owner, waited forever, waited forever, but the owner did not return. Day after day, Hachi still kept the habit of waiting for his master, and so, regardless of the sun or rain, Hachi did not miss a single day on the Shibuya platform to wait for Mr. Ueno for 9 years, 9 months and 15 days.
During the next nearly 10 years of his life, Hachiko still did not give up the habit of waiting for his owner at the Shibuya station platform.
In 1932, after Hachi waited for his owner for 7 years, a student of Professor Ueno wrote an article about this touching story and posted it on the front page of the Tokyo Asahi. Immediately there were many people concerned about this loyal dog. Hachi’s name was changed to Hachiko – meaning affectionate and affectionate; Also from Hachiko that the Japanese added to the dictionary the new word “chukhen” – faithful little dog. Even the Japanese empress also gave compliments to Hachi; At the same time, the station staff also prepared Hachi a fur coat in the duty room for the dog to shelter through rainy and sunny days.
The story of Hachiko is so pervasive, that many Tokyoites have implicitly considered taking care of this small dog as part of their responsibility.
As time passed, days, months, and years passed, Hachiko still showed up at the station regularly at 3 p.m., even though he had arthritis and was too old. Finally, on March 8, 1935, nearly 11 years since it last saw its owner, Hachiko was found – then 12 years old – lying dead in the same spot where he had been waiting for his owner. his staff for many years. It is also rumored that this is a street Hachiko has never passed before, but his body happens to be pointing in the direction of Professor Ueno’s grave. Died at the age of 12, the waiting period of a decade has taken up Hachiko’s entire life.
On the last day of his life, Hachiko still mourned his master till the end. But when he left, Hachiko was not alone, when almost all of Japan followed his inter-heavenly footsteps.
Hachiko’s death was published on the front page of many newspapers at the time and a whole day was spent mourning Hachiko. With donations from people throughout the country, people hired sculptor Ando Teru to make a bronze statue of Hachiko. When the statue was completed and placed solemnly inside the station platform, at the same spot it had been waiting for its owner for nearly 10 years.
However, a few years later, when Japan was at war, everything that was metal was taken away to make weapons, with the exception of the Hachiko statue. After the war ended, in 1948, Hachiko was once again carved a new statue. That statue is located at Shibuya station to this day.
The bronze statue of Hachiko in front of Shibuya Station is still there to this day.
It was a story many years ago, but now, the image of a loyal dog in Nagano prefecture, Japan has aroused many emotions in the hearts of Japanese people. Newspapers continuously published many works of poetry and music about loyal dog Hachiko. Stores near the station are also quick to release many new items such as Hachiko postage stamps, Hachiko dolls… Teachers regard Hachiko as a shining example of loyalty for students to follow, famous artists also started praising him. The whole country aroused a movement to develop the Akita breed, hoping that their family would raise such a loyal dog.