One of the most famous meeting points in Shibuya is the Hachiko statue. Everyday hundreds or thousands of people walk past it, stand in front of it, snap a picture or chatting around with friends. The statue is located right outside the Hachiko exit (one of the five exits from Shibuya Station) is a must see..
Me with Hachiko's statue, it's located nearby Shibuya JR
and subway station
It's based on the true story of a dog in Japan that waited ten years at the train station for his master, not realizing his master has died. It's a very sad but touching story about loyalty and devotion, and the love shared between a dog and its master. Hachiko, originally named Hachi, meaning 'eight,' is an Akita-ken whose master, a professor at one of Japan's universities, treats him kindly and lovingly, telling him every day what a special and smart dog he is. Hachi follows the professor to the train station every day for a year, returning every day at three o'clock to greet his master off the train. One day the professor never returns, having died of a cerebral hemorrhage, but still Hachi comes every day at three o'clock, waiting and waiting until he also dies, ten years later. Eventually his devotion earns him recognition and appreciation among the train's frequenters, and he earns the suffix-ko, meaning 'duke,' and the title chuken, meaning 'faithful dog.'
The life story of Hachiko's
In 1924, Hachikō was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner’s life Hachikō saw him out from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return on the usual train one evening. The professor had suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage at the university that day. He died and never returned to the train station where his friend was waiting. Hachikō was loyal and every day for the next nine years he waited sitting there amongst the town’s folk. Hachikō was given away after his master’s death, but he routinely escaped, showing up again and again at his old home. Eventually, Hachikō apparently realized that Professor Ueno no longer lived at the house. So he went to look for his master at the train station where he had accompanied him so many times before. Each day, Hachikō waited for Professor Ueno to return. And each day he did not see his friend among the commuters at the station.
The permanent fixture at the train station that was Hachikō attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachikō and Professor Ueno together each day. They brought Hachikō treats and food to nourish him during his wait. This continued for nine years with Hachikō appearing precisely when the train was due at the station.
That same year, another of Ueno’s faithful students (who had become something of an expert on the Akita breed) saw the dog at the station and followed him to the Kobayashi home (the home of the former gardener of Professor Ueno Kikuzaboro Kobayashi where he learned the history of Hachikō‘s life. Shortly after this meeting, the former student published a documented census of Akitas in Japan. His research found only 30 purebred Akitas remaining, including Hachikō from Shibuya Station. Professor Ueno’s former student returned frequently to visit the dog and over the years published several articles about Hachikō‘s remarkable loyalty. In 1932 one of these articles, published in Tokyo’s largest newspaper, threw the dog into the national spotlight. Hachikō became a national sensation. His faithfulness to his master’s memory impressed the people of Japan as a spirit of family loyalty all should strive to achieve. Teachers and parents used Hachikō‘s vigil as an example for children to follow. A well-known Japanese artist rendered a sculpture of the dog, and throughout the country a new awareness of the Akita breed grew. Eventually, Hachiko’s legendary faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty. Hachikō died on March 8, 1935. He was found on a street in Shibuya. His heart was infected with filarial worms and 3-4 yakitori sticks were found in his stomach. His stuffed and mounted remains are kept at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo.
Bronze statue of Hachiko's at meet point nearby
Shibuya Croosing, it's most popular area and also
among the famous shooting place for many Japanese
and international Drama and movies in Tokyo.
The memorable
On April 21,1934, a bronze statue of Hachikõ by the sculptor Teru Ando was erected in Shibuya Station in Tokyo. The location is a popular Tokyo meeting place, with the statue now symbolizing the commitment and love of people who meet there. The original statue was melted down for use in World War II. The Society for Recreating the Hachikõ Statue was formed, with sculptor Takeshi Ando, son of the original sculptor, commissioned to make a second statue, which was unveiled in 1948.
It's such an amazing story, it really is. To think that it's based off a real life story, too, is just great; mind-blowing to be precise.One of my all time favorites. This is a very sad story about death, loyalty, devotion and endless love. It's heatbreaking, but it holds a wonderful message that helped me describe my absolute love. It's refreshing to think there is love as total and complete in this world.
