"Great dog Hachi(1923 - 1935)" - 2 -

Ever since Hachi was entrusted to Mr. Kobayashi, he had kept waiting for his deceased master Dr. Ueno in front of the ticket gate of Shibuya station every day, either on hot summer days or on chilly winter days. Sometimes he was doodled on his face by cruel people, captured by dogcatchers and scolded by station staffs for entering the station yard. One day Mr. Saito, who was a member of Nihonken Hozon Kai (Preservation Society of Great Japanese Dogs.) noted Hachi who kept coming to the station in order to meet his deceased master. Mr. Saito contributed an article about Hachi to a newspaper and then Hachi leaped to fame. Hachi was loved even by the station employees and staffs of the station stands, and nicknamed "Chuken Hachiko" (a faithful dog, Hachi).

In 1934, a bronze statue of Hachiko was erected by Mr. Ando and established in front of the ticket gate of Shibuya station. In connection with the establishment of the statue, the ticket gate was named Hachiko-guchi and it remained as a symbol of Shibuya as our favorite meeting spot until today. However in March 1935, Hachiko was found dead at a silence alley on the opposite side of Shibuya station Hachiko used to stay. Hachiko died of filariasis. Hachiko remains at National Science Museum in Ueno as a stuffed animal and his dead body was buried in Aoyama Cemetery, where Hachiko's dearest master Dr. Ueno rests in peace.

Ten years later after the statue of Hachiko was established, as World War II became serious, metal material was running short and the statue, that was erected by the donation not only from Japanese children but also children of warring nations U.S. was brought to the army to produce weapons as a result. In 1948 after World War II ended, son of Mr. Ando reconstructed today's statue of Hachiko.
Some people said that the reason why Hachiko headed for Shibuya station at designated time every day was that he expected to eat yakitori given by yakitori stall in front of the station. Actually, the result of postmortem, a few spits of yakitori were found in his stomach. However, I believe that he was out of sheer desire to meet Dr. Ueno on that particular time at least during one year period time when Hachiko was running eight kilometers from Asakusa to Shibuya.

End