10 Heartbreaking Details Surrounding Hachikō, The World’s Most Loyal Dog

6 /10 The Morning Newspaper

He followed Hachikō home when his trial of waiting ended to the home of Kozaburo Kobayashi, a gardener who formerly worked with Ueno, one of Hachikō’s remaining friends of his late master.

What rose Hachikō to fame, of a kind, was when one of Hidesaburo’s students – Hirokichi Saito – came by and happened to notice the dog waiting at Shibuya and learned he belonged to his late teacher.

Once Saito learned the tragic story, he used his connection to the popular Asahi Shimbun publication and his credential as a leading expert on the Akita breed to publish a paper on the dog’s incredible loyalty.

5 /10 Saving The Akita

At the time, the Akita was a scarce breed. Only 30 purebreds existed, and Hachikō was one of them.

The article drew a rising interest in Akitas, particularly for their similarity to Hachikō, whose exhibition of faithfulness in waiting for his deceased master to one day come home was seen as something of a heroic effort for a dog.

Institutional people, such as the functional royal court of Japan’s Emperor, saw it as a value worth preserving and celebrating.

4 /10 Reunited

Hachikō never got to see his master in life. In March of 1935, Hachikō was found dead in the streets of Shibuya, aged 11 years old.

Though old in dog years, he had not lived out the full breadth of his breed’s lifetime. It was discovered that he died of terminal cancer and parasitic worm infection.

Despite those pains, he spent his last day waiting at the station until nightfall before heading back to the streets until he could stay at the station another day.

3 /10 Memorializing Hachikō

Hachikō’s death came as a shock to many. He’d become a minor celebrity at the station, and in the last few years of his life, he was given treats and gifts and food by the passing station goers who knew him as the most loyal dog in the world.

Hidesaburo’s widow mourned him and many of Hidesaburo’s friends – and his friends as well, the station staff that looked after him.

2 /10 Doggy Funeral

Part of Hachikō lives on to this day – physically. His fur was preserved and used in taxidermy to reconstruct his likeness, which was then stored in the National Science Museum of Japan as a display.

The rest of his remains, his body, were cremated and buried next to his owner’s grave marker.

Just before his death, a bronze statue was commissioned and erected at the station to celebrate their local legend.

It was then repurposed for war efforts, and then a second statue was made in 1948 by the original sculptor’s son.

1 /10 Waiting For Hachikō

Japan celebrates the story of Hachikō through references, retellings of the story, movies, and other media. His birth date has been honored numerous times with the erection of new statues.

And, as part of the 90th anniversary of Hachikō’s birth, arrangements were made to reunite the remains of Yaeko, Hidesaburo’s partner, with him and Hachikō so they could be reunited as a family forever.

Though legality slowed the process, it was eventually commemorated with the simultaneous unveiling of a statue at the same grounds near the cemetery commemorating the excellent dog’s death.

He is arguably the most celebrated dog in the world.