Sunday, January 13, 2013

Loyal to the End


We watched a DVD last weekend which was based on a true story.  Hachi: A Dog's Tale  is a story of loyalty and friendship.  Admittedly, I was watching more because of Richard Gere than because of the dog; but in fairness, it was a nice movie and there was a part or two where I couldn't help but shed a tear.
I guess what I really liked about it is the fact that it really happened.  That makes it simply amazing!




In 1924, a Japanese professor took in a golden brown Akita (a breed of dog) as a pet. Hachiko  ['hachi' meaning 'eight', a number referring to the dog's birth order in the litter, and 'kō', meaning prince or duke]  would greet his owner at the Shibuya train station everyday.  The pair continued this routine until May 1925 when the professor failed to turn up at the station because he had suffered cerebral hemorrhage and died while at work.  Every day for the next nine years, Hachiko waited at Shibuya station.   

Hachiko's legendary faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty.  A bronze statue in the dog's likeness was erected in the location where Hachiko faithfully waited, in front of one of Shibuya Stations' five exits,

No comments: