Chuuken Dog “Hachi-kou” (Loyal Dog Hachi-kou)
When I was a kid, I went to movies titled ” Story of Loyal Dog: Hachi-kou” with my father. It was really sad story but I really liked it.
Hachi-kou is Akita dog. Breed from Northern Japan prefecture called “Akita prefecture”. The dog weigh about 75-110lb in average, 24″- 28″ tall.
This true story touched many people’s heart,and Hachi-kou statue is seen in front of busy Shibuya station in Tokyo area. It is one of the popular place to be used as meeting spot.
So what’s the story behind “Hachi-kou”?
According to Hiragana times, Hachi-kou (Male Akita dog) was born in 1920’s in Akita prefecture,Japan.Then, Dr. Ueno who then was working at agricultural department at Imperial University took care of Hachi-kou.
Dr. Ueno lived near Shibuya station and,Hachi-kou,and Dr’s other dogs “John” and “Etsu” and Dr himself walked to station everyday.
Then dog crews waited for his arrival in the evening at the shibuya station.They sometime walked to University gate and Dr gave biscuits to them and patted them.
May 1925,Hachi-ko alone walked to Dr Ueno’s working University gate,waited for Dr Ueno coming out to go home,but no matter how long he waited at the gate, Dr did not come out.
Dr Ueno suddenly passed away at the meeting on the day.Hachi-kou went home without Dr Ueno and stayed at his study room and did not eat anything for 3 days.
Then,4th day from Dr’s death,Hachi-kou and John,Estu went to Shibuya station together,waited for Dr Ueno.
This continued rainy days,sunny days,windy days.
The clerks thought that dogs were obstacles at busy station so,Dr Ueno’s friends tried keeping the dogs from going to station but,they kept going for next 10 years.
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People started noticing the dogs and thought highly of them.
Hachi-kou lived 12 years,but his loyal attitude story lived long and the story became movies or books and,now we can find statue in front of Shibuya station,where Hachi-kou visited every single day no matter how severe the weather was,to meet Dr Ueno.
Hachi-kou (Loyal dogs Hachi-kou)
In USA,Richard Gere played as Dr Ueno in re-make of Hachi-ko story movie,and film was taken in RI.
Hachi-kou movie will be out in 2009 in USA.In Japan,it is scheduled to be out in August,2009.
