HISTORY OF THE AKITA INU.
A true story of modern times:
Hachiko was born on November 1923 in Odate City in the northern part of the prefecture of Akita.
When he was two months old he went to live in the house of Professor Ueno of the University of Tokyo.
Every morning the Professor went to the station of Shibuya to get a train to work in Tokyo and Hachiko
accompanied him, saw his master off then went back home. Each evening at the same time, Haciko would
return to the station to meet his master returning from work and would walk home together. But one
evening Professor Ueno did not come back, as he had suffered a heart attack while at work in Tokyo
and died earlier that day.
Haciko was only 18 months old when the ftagic loss of his master occurred and without his master's
care he became a stray. Although living on the streets, he returned to meet the Tokyo train each
evening, at the expected time and waited for his master in vain. Eventually he was looked after by the
Professor's relatives but, for the next 10 years Haciko still continued his lonely vigil and returned to
meet his master off the Tokyo train at the same time every day, without fail.
Haciko became a local hero and was respected by everyone for this example of loyalty. The workers
at the station who were so impressed and touched by his love and devotion for his dead master, build
a shelter for him and gave him food until he died in March 1935 at the age of 11 years and 4 months.
Haciko was finally reunited with his master since he was buried along side Professor Ueno in the
cemetery of Aoyama. Near the entrance of the station at Shibuya a statue has been erected in his
memory and another has been placed at the entrance of the station at Odate:
