The Story of Hachikō, Japan’s Most Loyal Dog

Last Updated on 18th July 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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This white Akita’s story will steal your heart! Waiting for his owner for over nine long years, Hachikō is remembered for his loyalty and devotion and has become a national hero of Japan. Located nearby to Shibuya Station, is a statue in honour of Hachikō and his story lives on worldwide in popular culture.

Here’s the story of Hachikō, Japan’s most loyal dog, a tale of friendship, fidelity and love. As well as how to visit the statue which commemorates his memory.

Who was Hachikō?

Hachikō (ハチ公) (which literally translates to English as ‘faithful dog’) was a white Japanese Akita dog, known for his unwavering loyalty and devotion to his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno (an agricultural scientist and university professor). In fact, Hachikō was an unexpected gift from a former student.

Akita are a Japanese breed of dog, known for being incredibly loyal pets, little did professor Ueno know just how remarkable Hachikō would be…

The story of Hachikō

The heartwarming story of Hachikō began when Professor Ueno took home his unexpected gift from a former student and brought the one year old white Akita to live with him in Shibuya, Tokyo.

What quickly became a daily routine for both of them, Hachikō would meet Ueno at Shibuya Station after his commute home from work, always appearing precisely when the train was due. Sadly, this routine ended abruptly in May 21, 1925 when professor Ueno died suddenly from a  cerebral hemorrhage while at work, never taking the train home where Hachikō patiently waited.

Despite having been given away and passed from home to home, Hachikō always made it back to Shibuya. Fiercely loyal, Hachikō returned to the station each day for the next 9 years, 9 months and 15 days to in hopes for Ueno to return.

It wasn’t until one of the professors students, Hirokichi Saito, recognised the small white Akita and decided to follow him home (his new home being with Ueno’s former gardener), where he learnt about the dog’s remarkable story.

Fascinated by the history of Hachikō’s life, Saito continued to visit the dog frequently and also went on to develop an expertise on the Akita breed, discovering that Hachikō was in fact at the time one of the thirty purebred Akitas remaining.

Over the years, Saito wrote and published several articles of Hachikō’s faithfulness, one of which was published in Japan’s leading national daily newspaper, Asahi Shimbun.

Hachikō was placed in the national spotlight. Capturing the heart of many, he soon became a symbol of loyalty. People were amazed by this small dogs memory and fidelity to his owner, and in turn a new awareness of the Akita dog breed grew.

A national sensation! Shibuya Station started to receive donations of food for Hachikō on a daily basis, and visitors travelled from far and wide to see him. In 1934, there was even a fundraising event held to make a statue of him, reportedly drawing a crowd of over 3,000 people!

By April 1934, a bronze statue of Hachikō was erected nearby to Shibuya Station, and the small Akita was present himself for its unveiling.

Sadly, Hachikō eventually died on the 8th of March in 1935, at the age of 11. He was found on a street in Shibuya. His death made front page news, and he even had Buddhist monks attending his funeral and offering prayers. Thousands of people visited his statue in the weeks following.

Some of Hachikō’s remains were cremated and scattered at Aoyama Cemetery, beside the grave of his beloved owner. However, his fur was preserved and stuffed… yes, you can actually see Hachikō’s body at The University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Agriculture.

In March 2011, an autopsy concluded that the cause of death was both terminal cancer and an infection. Apparently there were also four yakitori skewers in Hachikō’s tummy, but they did not cause any damage.

Every year on the 8th of April, a memorial service is held in honour of Hachikō outside Shibuya Station. Named ‘Hachikō day‘, people often decorate his statue with garments like scarfs.

The original statue was actually recycled and melted for train parts during WWII. The one that is seen today was erected in 1948. His statue also remains a popular spot for political protests.

The heroism of Hachikō remains prevalent to this day, and his act of service and loyalty to Ueno is still marvelled at and captures the hears of many to this very day, almost a century later!

How Hachikō became a national treasure

Hachikō, gained nationwide fame after the Japanese newspaper Tokyo Asahi Shimbun wrote about him in October, 1932.

Hachikō’s story has spread within popular culture too, with his story featuring in several poems and haikus and books. There’s even been a Hollywood movie based on him called “Hachiko, A Dog’s Story” which is set in New York, starring Richard Gere. However, for a more true to life film, “Hachikō Monogatari” the 1987 Japanese drama film, is a better watch.

There are currently 5 Hachikō statues in Japan, and there’s even the Statue Of Hachi on Rhode Island in USA which was erected after the movie came out. Truly a world renowned pet!

How to visit the Hachikō

The statue of Hachikō can be found at Shibuya Crossing, which is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world and has a nickname of ‘Shibuya Scramble’ as a result.

During the spring, the statue is surrounded by cherry blossom trees (though due to pollution in the area these don’t appear to be the healthiest sakura in Tokyo).

The statue is also surrounded by huge crowds of people (which isn’t that surprising when you consider the dog’s immense popularity around the world!) so whatever time of the day you visit, you’ll probably be waiting to take a photo!

Nearby things to do include going up Shibuya Sky (where you can admire Shibuya Scramble from above) and crossing the famed crosswalk itself!

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