Japan: Chūken Hachikō (忠犬ハチ公) 'Faithful dog Hachiko' being petted by a traveller at Shibuya Station c. 1932

Hachikō (ハチ公, November 10, 1923 – March 8, 1935) was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, who is remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner which continued for many years after his owner's death.

In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took in Hachikō, a golden brown Akita, as a pet. During his owner's life, Hachikō greeted him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return. The professor had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died, never returning to the train station where Hachikō was waiting. Each day for the next nine years Hachikō awaited Ueno's return, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station.

Hachikō attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachikō and Professor Ueno together each day. After the first appearance of the article about him on October 4, 1932 in Asahi Shimbun, people started to bring Hachikō treats and food to nourish him during his wait.

Hachikō died on March 8, 1935, and was found on a street in Shibuya. Hachikō's stuffed and mounted remains are kept at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo. His monument is in Aoyama cemetery in Minatoku, Tokyo.

In 2009, Hollywood produced 'Hachi: A Dog's Tale', starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen, based on the life of Hachiko.

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