Hachiko the dog was more than a pet. As the canine companion to a university professor, Hachiko patiently waited his owner’s return from work at their local train station each evening.

Hatki

But when the professor died suddenly one day at work, Hachiko was left waiting at the station — for nearly a decade. Every day after his master passed, Hachiko returned to the train station, often to the chagrin of the employees who worked there.

Hachiko’s story of devotion soon won over the station employees, and he became an international sensation and a symbol of loyalty. This is the story of Hachiko, history’s most loyal dog.

In 1924, Professor Hidesaburo Ueno, who taught in the agriculture department at Tokyo Imperial University, acquired the puppy and brought him to live with him in the Shibuya neighborhood of Tokyo.

The pair followed the same routine every day: In the morning Ueno would walk to the Shibuya Station with Hachiko and take the train to work. After finishing the day’s classes, he would take the train back and return to the station at 3 p.m. on the dot, where Hachiko would be waiting to accompany him on the walk home.

The pair kept up this schedule religiously until one day in May 1925 when Professor Ueno suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage while teaching.

That same day, Hachiko showed up at 3 p.m. as usual, but his beloved owner never got off the train.

Despite this disruption in his routine, Hachiko returned the next day at the same time, hoping that Ueno would be there to meet him. Of course, the professor failed to return home once again, but his loyal Akita never gave up hope. This is where Hachiko’s story of loyalty begins. Читать далее →