Everlasting Love And Loyalty: Heartbreaking Photos Of Hachiko, The Dog That Waited For His Owner For Years

Hachikō is not only a dog, but a symbol of loyalty and never ending love. The Akita has become an icon not only in Japan but to the whole wide world as well.

The Akita was born back in 1923 on a farm in Ōdate, Japan. A year later he was adopted by a professor, Hidesaburō Ueno, who took him in to live in Shibuya, Tokyo. Every day he would travel to work, and when taking the train back home, he would be greeted by Hachikō.

At the end of each day, the golden-brown dog would leave the house to wait for his owner at Shibuya Station. However, on May 21, 1925, Hidesaburō Ueno sadly did not return. He had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while giving a lecture and died without ever returning to the train station where Hachikō waited for him.

But Hachikō not knowing what happened to his owner continued waiting for him at the station for the next nine years, nine months and fifteen days! All this time Hachikō would patiently wait at the same train station every day.

In October 4, 1932, the first article on Hachikō was published, after that, Hachikō gained national attention and people would often bring him food and treats.

Hachikō became a nationwide sensation. Many people world wide were deeply touched by Hachikō’s everlasting love and loyalty and he soon became the prime example of family loyalty.

The loyal dog died on March 8, 1935, when he was only 11 years old. In 2011 scientists finally determined the cause of Hachikō’s death, and the loving puppy apparently had terminal cancer and a filaria infection.

After the death of Hachikō, his remains were cremated and his ashes buried in Aoyama Cemetery, Minato, Tokyo. He was placed next to the grave of his beloved owner Professor Ueno, and his is fur was preserved and stuffed to appear on permanent display at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo.