Reading about the story behind His Master’s Voice brought a question to mind.

Do out pets mourn and remember us after we are gone?

If you’ve ever watched Futurama’s Jurassic Bark episode, then you probably think YES, THEY LOVE US JUST AS MUCH AS WE LOVE THEM. At least, that’s what I believe. The story of Hachiko could prove that this sentiment is true.

Hachiko

Eizaburo Ueno, a professor at Tokyo University, adopted Hachiko from the Odate city in the Akita prefecture. Hachiko, or Hachi, and his new owner soon became inseparable. For the next two years, Hachi would walk in the morning with Eizaburo to the Shibuya Train Station and return in the afternoon to walk Eizeburo back home. On May 21, 1925, Hachi waited at the usual spot for Eizeburo to return but… Eizeburo never showed up.

Unbeknownst to Hachi, Eizaburo had suffered an unexpected cerebral haemorrhage at work and died at his desk. After Eizaburo’s death, Hachi moved in with another family. For the next ten years of his long life, Hachi continued to go to the Shibuya Train Station every morning and afternoon waiting in vain for the return of his beloved owner.

A major Japanese newspaper reporter published Hachi’s story in 1932 making Hachi a national hero in Japan. People started calling Hachi, “Chuken-Hachiko,” meaning, “Hachiko – the faithful dog.” The story of the dog that never gave up gained a lot of attention, and people from all over the world came to visit Hachi and offer him treats at the Shibuya station.

Hachiko in the Japanese newspaper — Hachi in the newspaper

In 1934, a statue of Hachi was unveiled at a grand ceremony in front of the Shibuya train station.

One year later, Hachi passed away on the street near the train station at the age of twelve. There is a monument of Hachi next to his owner’s tomb in the Aoyama cemetery located in Tokyo, Japan.

Today, the Hachiko bronze statue is a popular attraction; reminding us all of the unconditional love and loyalty our pets can give.

There is also and enormous mosaic dedicated to Hachi in front of the Shibuya train station.

Works Cited:

Dinh, Michelle Lynn. “The Last Photo of Faithful Dog Hachiko Breaks Our Hearts.” SoraNews24. SoraNews24, 06 Dec. 2013. Web.

Maria. “The Amazing And True Story Of Hachiko The Dog.” Nerd Nomads. N.p., 06 Aug. 2016. Web.

Messenger, Stephen. “Rare Photo Surfaces Of Hachiko, The World’s Most Loyal Dog.” The Dodo. The Dodo, 09 Nov. 2015. Web.