Hachiko – Loyal Dog Waits for Dead Owner

[dropcap]Could[/dropcap] possibly be the world’s most loyal dog. In 1924, Professor Hidesaburō Ueno of the University of Tokyo took in a golden brown Akita named Hachiko, as a pet. Everyday Hachiko would greet Ueno at the Shibuya Train Station until May of 1925. Ueno suffered a stroke, died, and was never to return. Although he did not return, Hachiko would wait at the Shibuya Train Station every 4pm for the next 9 years.

This soon caught the attention of many Japanese citizens. People brought Hachiko food and treats for his wait. His loyalty to his owner became well known after his first appearance in an article on October 4, 1932.

Hachiko became a national sensation and the symbol for loyalty. On March 8, 1935, Hachiko died of terminal cancer and a filaria infection. Although he’s gone, he is still remembered. His monument is in the Aoyama cemetery in Minatoku, Tokyo. Every year on April 8 at the Shibuya Train Station, a small ceremony is held for the remembrance of Hachiko’s loyalty, devotion, and faithfulness.

Now, that’s my idea of a…