Ronnie says to his class that his personal hero is his grandfather Parker Wilson's dog Hachi, whose story he starts narrating. Parker Wilson, a professor who commutes to
Providence,
Rhode Island, finds a
dog lost on the railway station in Bedridge and temporarily takes it home. The dog remains unclaimed but grows close to Parker, who takes it everywhere with him. Parker's Japanese friend Ken says the dog is a breed called Akita and the character on its collar tag is "Hachi" ("Eight" in
Japanese). Parker thus names the dog "Hachi" as it is a lucky number. Parker's wife Cate Wilson eventually warms to Hachi but he sleeps outside in his own shed. Parker tries in vain to train Hachi in normal dog things like fetching a
ball. However, Ken explains that Akita dogs cannot be trained; if Hachi fetches the ball, it will be for a special reason. Hachi digs under the fence and follows Parker to the station. He refuses to go home, and Parker misses the train. He hands him over to Cate and catches the next train. At 5:00 pm, he returns from the train and is surprised to find Hachi waiting for him at the station. He is even more surprised to learn that he came to the station all by himself. A daily routine begins: the two walk to the station, Parker leaves from the train, Hachi goes home, and returns at 5:00pm to receive Parker. Later, Parker's daughter Andy marries Michael, and Hachi is in the family marriage photograph. Soon after the marriage, Andy announces that she is pregnant. However, one morning, Hachi behaves strangely at home and then follows Parker to the railway station with the ball. Parker throws the ball toward him, and much to his delight, Hachi fetches it for the first time. They play for a while, and Parker eventually puts the ball in his pocket and begins to leave. Hachi barks and watches Parker's train leaving. Hours later, while still holding the ball, Parker suffers a fatal
stroke in his classroom and collapses; Hachi waits for him at the railway station. At 9:30pm, Michael comes to the railway station and takes Hachi home. From his shed, Hachi watches the family mourning Parker. The next morning, Parker's family members and friends gather for his funeral while Hachi goes to the station to wait. Soon, Cate sells the house and moves away, and Hachi goes to live with Andy and Michael and their infant son Ronnie. However, Hachi follows the train tracks to Bedridge. Andy and Michael find him and take him back to their house. Realizing that Hachi is pining for Parker, Andy opens the gate for him. Hachi gratefully licks her hand and runs back to the Bedridge station. Hachi waits at the station every day, while hot-dog seller Jasjeet and the other passers-by feed him. Soon, a reporter writes a story about Hachi, and people start sending him money and cards. Ken reads Hachi's news, travels to Bedridge and speaks to Hachi in Japanese: he too misses his best friend. On Parker's tenth death anniversary, Cate arrives in town to visit his grave, where Ken is present, too. She is moved to see an elderly Hachi still waiting at the station for his friend. Later, Cate tells 10-year-old Ronnie the story of Hachi, who slowly settles in place. Hachi later dies at his place in the station, while still waiting for Parker who finally comes to seek him in death and they at last reunite, in the afterlife. In the present, Ronnie says that his grandfather and Hachi taught him the meaning of "loyalty", which means "you should never forget anyone you have loved". He concludes that Hachi will forever be his personal hero and the class applauds. From the school bus, Ronnie is met by Michael and a tiny new puppy who is also named Hachi. Ronnie and the puppy travel through the same tracks Hachi traveled years ago. == Cast ==