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.

How The Story Of Hachiko Became A National Sensation

Hachiko was reportedly given away after his master’s death, but he regularly ran off to Shibuya Station at 3 p.m. hoping to meet the professor. Soon, the lone dog began to draw the attention of other commuters.

At first, the station workers were not all that friendly to Hachiko, but his fidelity won them over. Soon, station employees began to bring treats for the devoted canine and sometimes sat beside him to keep him company.

The days turned into weeks, then months, then years, and still Hachiko returned to the station each day to wait. His presence had a great impact on the local community of Shibuya and he became something of an icon.

In fact, one of Professor Ueno’s former students, Hirokichi Saito, who also happened to be an expert on the Akita breed, got wind of Hachiko’s story.

He decided to take the train to Shibuya to see for himself if his professor’s pet would still be waiting.

When he arrived, he saw Hachiko there, as usual. He followed the dog from the station to the home of Ueno’s former gardener, Kuzaburo Kobayashi. There, Kobayashi filled him in on the story of Hachiko.

Shortly after this fateful meeting with the gardener, Saito published a census on Akita dogs in Japan. He found that there were only 30 documented purebred Akitas — one being Hachiko.

In 1932, one of his articles was published in the national daily Asahi Shimbun, and Hachiko’s tale spread throughout Japan. The dog quickly found nationwide fame.

People from all over the country came to visit Hachiko, who had become a symbol of loyalty and something of a good-luck charm.

The faithful pet never let old age or arthritis interrupt his routine. For the next nine years and nine months, Hachiko still returned to the station every day to wait.