Goodbye

Watch this movie and I challenge you to not shed a single tear.





Hachiko, an Akita was born 8th in order in a litter on the 10th of November, 1923. His name is now synonymous with Loyalty in Japan. Well, it happened even before he died in 1935.


Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took Hachiko as a pet in 1924. They must have developed a very close bond, because at the end of every day, when the professor came back from work, Hachiko would be there at Shibuya Station to greet him. This happened everyday, until one day in May, 1925.

Shibuya Station in those days

On that day, Professor Ueno did not come. He had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died. Hachiko waited and waited, but still he did not come. Starting from that day, until the end of his life, Hachiko would wait at Shibuya Station for his master who would never come.


This story has been interpreted by many people as a story of loyalty. We see Hachiko's action as love and loyalty for his owner, and remember him for it. Though there are many other stories of loyalty from around the world (mostly regarding dogs, I wonder why), Hachiko's story seems to resonate the most with people. Well, it does with me, at least. Why?


Perhaps it is just that simple act of waiting and expectation. We will probably never know what Hachiko was thinking, but legend now goes that he continued to wait faithfully for his owner to return. It's that simple act of foolish innocence, that unwavering loyalty, belief, I think, that attracts us. If you were there, would you have admonished Hachiko? Would you have tried to make him understand that Professor Ueno is never coming back? If it was a child waiting for a father who left home, believing one day he would come back... would you feel the same?

Hachiko in his later years

Anyway, interestingly, the first bronze statue of Hachiko was unveiled before Hachiko's eyes, while he was still alive in 1934. Though this statue was recycled for the war effort later on (WW2?), a new one was erected in 1948. It's still there to this day - a memory, a story of loyalty.

There have been 2 movies made about Hachiko. One was made in Japan in 1987, and one was made in 2009 in the US, starring Richard Gere. I haven't seen the 'original' one yet, but I think they'd hit the heart in the same place. 

The music above is by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, made for the American version.

PS: THEY STUFFED HIS BODY AND PUT IT ON DISPLAY IN A MUSEUM. His other remains were buried with Prof. Ueno.