Japan: Chuken Hachiko 'Faithful dog Hachiko' at Shibuya Station c. 1932 'Faithful dog Hachiko' at...

Hachiko (November 10, 1923 - March 8, 1935) was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Odate, Akita Prefecture, who is remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner which continued for many years after his owner's death. In 1924, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took in Hachiko, a golden brown Akita, as a pet. During his owner's life, Hachiko 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 Hachiko was waiting. Each day for the next nine years Hachiko awaited Ueno's return, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station. Hachiko attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachiko 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 Hachiko treats and food to nourish him during his wait. Hachiko died on March 8, 1935, and was found on a street in Shibuya. Hachiko'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.