The story of Hachikō has captivated innumerable people worldwide. Countless visitors, Japanese and foreigners, visit his statue in Shibuya each year. A Japanese entertainment company began "Day of the Idol Dog" in 2009, honoring a dog every November 11. Its first honoree was Hachikō. In July 2012, photos from Hachikō's life were shown at the
Shibuya Folk and Literary Shirane Memorial Museum in
Shibuya as part of the (or Exhibition of newly stored materials). Many Hachikō-themed goods are sold, including: clear folders, tote bags, holders, note books, candies, cookies,
kasutera (sponge cakes), green tea, rice crackers, pancakes, chocolates, and sauce. Hachi-kō sauce is a long-time seller manufactured by none other than the Hachiko Sauce Company. Hachikō sauce is still being made as of 2025 is considered one of the best “Worcestershire” sauces in Japan. It has three different flavors (original, semi-thick, and fruit). Every year on April 8, since 1984, the Society for the Preservation of the Loyal Dog Hachi-kō Bronze Statue holds a Hachikō Festival at Shibuya Station. It is held on April 8 instead of May 8 as that combines Hachikō's death date with Buddha's birthday, which is called the Flower Festival.
Statues of Hachikō At the same time Teru Andō, who had made the plaster statue, was planning a bronze statue, a senior hired a sculptor, Ōuchi, who had designed the New Year's postcard, to create a wooden statue of Hachikō. The senior claimed Ueno's family had endorsed him handling all of Hachikō's commissions, but this was a blatant fabrication. The senior made woodblock-print postcards and had Stationmaster Yoshikawa sign them. Andō was very concerned with this fraud and asked Saitō to begin a bronze statue. Saitō was opposed to this as he felt that should only be done after Hachikō died. Saitō tried to get the senior to cancel the wood block project and join in with Andō, but the senior refused to help or commit money he had earned. This senior also hired Ōuchi to make a miniature statue. Reluctantly, Saitō agreed to the bronze project of Andō. Saitō never took advantage of Hachikō nor did he enjoy being in the spotlight. Saitō and Andō began the Fund to Create the Hachi-kō Bronze Statue on January 1, 1934, with large nationwide support, including academics, professionals, and schoolchildren. Funds were even sent from Korea, which was a Japanese colony at that time, as well as China, Taiwan, and America. One of the fundraisers attracted about 3,000 people. There was debate among the fund members about both the pose of Hachikō and where the statue should be located. Some wanted him sitting down with his droopy ear and others preferred standing with traditional Akita looks. Some wanted it under the eaves of Shibuya Station, which the station controlled, and others wanted it just outside the station, which Tokyo City controlled. The sitting realistic pose was chosen, partly because Andō could not make the standing pose to his satisfaction and the statue was placed just under the station's eaves. The bronze statue was unveiled at 1pm on April 21, 1934, at the station to much fanfare, with the area in front of the station packed with people very tightly. The unveiling occurred in the freight parking area, not the statue's eventual location in the station's front, because of lack of space in the front. Saitō led the ceremony and Hachikō was there. Ueno's granddaughter, Hisako, then 10, actually cut the ribbon to unveil the statue, which she and Saitō barely got to because of the dense crowds. From the time of the unveiling of the bronze statue in April 1934 until long after Hachikō died, many people falsely claimed to have dogs sired by him, even though only one descendant of his, a son, is known, Kuma-kō, who was owned by Yoshitarō Itō. Itō had a
Fox Terrier named Debbie, who was Kuma-kō's mother. Debbie died and Hachikō apparently stayed monogamous after that. |alt=Statue of a dog In 1933 Andō began making about ten 6-inch high statues of Hachikō in a lying down posture. He kept one himself, one to Empress Dowager Sadako, one to Emperor
Hirohito, and one to Empress Nagako. The rest went to his friends. The one he kept himself had its front legs partially melted in the large
Tokyo air raid fires of May 25, 1945, but it was recovered. Andō and his daughter both perished in this fire. Shortly after the
Marco Polo Bridge incident on July 7, 1937, the Japanese government began expansion and militarization its economy, people, and material for war. This incident is considered the start of the
Second Sino-Japanese War and became part of the
Pacific War, which was part of World War II. The government would requisition material for the war effort, put children as young as middle-schoolers into the work force, and censored the media. By 1943 the situation for metals was so desperate that items like zoo guard rails and memorial plaques for animals were being requisitioned. If need be animals would be euthanized so that their cage metal could be used. Dogs were euthanized as they required food. Only German Shepherds were exempt because they were military dogs. Akitas were the first targets because they ate lots of food and their fur could be used for coats. At the end of World War II only 15-16 purebred Akitas were alive in Japan. If you refused to donate your pet, you were treated as a traitor. Some people were even arrested and tortured for not cooperating with the war effort. As the 1944 recycling drive began, Hachikō's statue at Shibuya Station became a target. Saitō says people put a white sash on it and wrote “Conscript it” on the sash. At the end of 1944 the Railways Bureau informed Saitō that they were going to melt down the statue. Saitō got Transportation Vice Minister to agree to put the statue in storage. The statue was taken down on October 12, 1944, amid an emotional farewell ceremony. Per the agreement, it was supposed to stay in storage. The Railways Bureau went back on the storage agreement and donated it to the war effort. Many were saddened and considered this the "Second Death" of Hachikō. It was eventually melted down on August 14, 1945, in
Hamamatsu, one day before Emperor Hirohito announced surrender, ending World War II. The statue became parts for locomotive machinery, not bullets as is sometimes reported. Saitō was not aware of this until late 1947 because he had evacuated Tokyo for Kyoto during the war and stayed there a couple years after the war. The Japan National Tourist Organization asked him about the statue because a lot of people wanted to see it, including Americans. Saitō told them the statue was safe. In late 1947 Takeshi Andō, son of Teru, sent Saitō a letter that made him very grief-stricken because it informed Saitō that during the war Teru and his daughter died in the May 25, 1945 air raid, the air raid burned down his house and art works, Takeshi himself had been drafted and had served on the front lines, the plaster statue had burned in the same air raid, and that Takeshi needed Saitō's help in making a second Hachikō statue. The officials of the Supreme Commander Allied Powers (SCAP) initially resisted these efforts because they saw Hachikō's loyalty as promoting devotion to imperialism. Eventually they realized Hachikō had nothing to do with that. Despite the economic hardships of the post-war era, many common people donated money for the second statue, as well as many influential people. Many Americans had heard about the fate of the first statue and donated money. Takeshi Andō began working on the new statue even though at the beginning there was not enough metal. In addition, he had no real-life model and had to rely on photographs and Saitō's measurements. Years later, Takeshi admitted he had melted down one of his father's master works that had been damaged in the war to make the second statue. The original statue's pedestal had survived the war so they used that for the new statue. Two bronze plaques describing Hachikō's provenance, one in English and one in Japanese, were attached to the pedestal. On August 15, 1948, third anniversary of Hirohito's surrender announcement, Takeshi Andō, unveiled a second statue. Children representing England, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the United States were there. The new statue still stands and is a popular meeting spot. The Shibuya Station entrance near this statue is named
Hachikō-guchi, meaning "The Hachikō Entrance/Exit", at the southeast part of the station, Although Hachikō is highly revered in Japan and around the world, there are people who still disrespect him. The Shibuya statue is near a late-night party area and some people, generally young adult females, climb on top of the statue and "perform acts that attract public attention". This second statue has been moved at about ten times due to construction projects, but also stays at the station. In 1984 the bronze statue of Hachikõ was reunited with Ueno when the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Tokyo realized the bronze bust they had was that of Ueno and he had been Hachikō's owner, so they sent it to Shibuya Station. Takeshi died on January 13, 2019, at age 95. Another statue is in Hachikō's hometown, in front of
Ōdate Station; it was unveiled at Ōdate Train Station on July 8, 1935. This statue was also melted down during the 1945 recycling efforts. Fund raising for a new one began in 1962 and it was unveiled in May 1964 in front of Ōdate Station. It depicts Hachikō standing, a female laying down, and three puppies and is called "Group Statues of Akita-inu". On November 14, 1987, a solo statue of Hachikō standing was erected, just several meters from the group statue. A stone statue of Hachikō and stone
steles were erected at the Saitō family residence, his birthplace, in Ōdate in 2003. The steles describe his provenance. In 2004, a new statue of Hachikō was erected in front of the Akita-inu Hall in Ōdate. After the release of the American movie ''
Hachi: A Dog's Tale'' (2009), which was filmed in
Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the Japanese Consulate in the United States helped the
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the city of Woonsocket to reveal a statue of Hachikō identical to the one at Shibuya Station at the
Woonsocket Depot Square, which was the location of the "Bedridge" train station featured in the movie. This statue in Woonsocket was bronze and was bought on eBay. It is smaller than the one in Shibuya and its creation was not authorized. Andō had approved of Woonsocket getting a statue, but he was unaware a look-alike unapproved replica ending up being bought. An Akita-mix named Hachi stood in for Hachikō at the dedication ceremony. On March 9, 2015, the Faculty of Agriculture of the
University of Tokyo, Ueno's alma mater and workplace where he commuted every workday during his time with Hachikō, made a bronze statue depicting Ueno returning to meet Hachikō to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Hachikō's death. The statue was sculpted by Tsutomu Ueda from
Nagoya and depicts an excited Hachikō jumping up to greet his master at the end of a workday. Ueno is dressed in a hat, suit, and trench coat, with his briefcase placed on the ground. Hachikō wears a studded harness as seen in his last photos. In a ceremony attended by the Japanese Ambassador in October 2016, a bronze statue of Hachiko and Dr. Ueno, identical to the one on the Yayoi Campus of the University of Tokyo, was installed in Abbey Glen Pet Memorial Park in
Lafayette Township, New Jersey, USA.
List of statues of Hachikō Birthdays On November 10, 2012,
Google commemorated what would have been Hachikō's 89th birthday by uploading a
Google Doodle that depicts the famous dog waiting by the Shibuya Station railway and holding Ueno's hat in his mouth. A
holographic display of Hachikō was installed at the Akita Dog Visitor Center in Odate, Akita Prefecture, greeting guests who came by to celebrate his birth.
In media Film and TV Hachikō was the subject of the 1987 film directed by
Seijirō Kōyama, which told the story of his life from his birth up until his death and had spiritual reunion with his master. Considered a
blockbuster success, the film was the last big hit for Japanese film studio
Shochiku Kinema Kenkyū-jo. This was the highest-grossing film in Japan in 1987 and received the Yamaji Fumiko Film Award. Producer Vicki Shigekuni Wong saw the Hachikō statue while visiting Shibuya in the 1980s and was so moved by his life that after returning to the United States, she adopted a Shiba Inu dog and named it Hachi. When her beloved dog, Hachikō, died at the age of 16, she decided to make a film about Hachiko, a symbol of the strong bond between dogs and humans. The resulting film, ''
Hachi: A Dog's Tale (released August 2009), is an American movie starring actor Richard Gere, directed by Lasse Hallström, about Hachikō and his relationship with an American professor and his family following the same story, but different. For example, Hachikō was a gift to professor Ueno, this part is entirely different in the American version. The movie was filmed in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, primarily in and around the Woonsocket Depot Square area and also featured Joan Allen and Jason Alexander. The role of Hachi was played by three Akitas: Leyla, Chico, and Forrest. Mark Harden describes how he and his team trained the three dogs in the book: "Animal Stars: Behind the Scenes with Your Favorite Animal Actors."'' After the movie was completed, Harden adopted Chico. "
Jurassic Bark" (2002), episode 7 of season 4 of the animated series
Futurama has an extended homage to Hachikō, with
Fry discovering the fossilized remains of his dog, Seymour. After Fry was frozen, Seymour is shown to have waited for Fry to return for 12 years outside Panucci's Pizza, where Fry worked, never disobeying his master's last command to wait for him.
Books Hachikō is also the subject of a children's book/short novel for readers of all ages called
Hachiko Waits, written by
Lesléa Newman and illustrated by
Machiyo Kodaira, was published by Henry Holt & Co. in 2004. In the Japanese manga
One Piece, there is a similar story with a dog named ChouChou.
Video game In the video game:
The World Ends with You (2007), the Hachikō statue is featured, it's referenced on several occasions. The location of Shibuya statue plays a role in the narrative of the game. The statue is featured again in the sequel:
Neo: The World Ends with You (2021).
Hachikō himself in media Hachikō himself made at least two media appearances in 1934, the zenith of his notoriety after the statue unveiling. In 1994,
Nippon Cultural Broadcasting in Japan was able to restore a recording of Hachikō barking,
Junjō bidan Hachi-kō (Heartwarming Story of Hachi-kō), from an old 78 RPM record by Kikusui Records that had been broken into several pieces. The pieces were melded together using a
laser. A huge advertising campaign ensued and on Saturday, May 28, 1994; 59 years after his death, millions of
radio listeners tuned in to hear Hachikō's bark. It is reported to sound like the "feeble howling of an old wolf", akin to "Wohw. Wohw. Wohw." In December 1934 Hachikō made a cameo in a movie
Arupusu taishō (King of the [Japan] Alps). In one scene a man is telling an audience about the information on Hachikō's bronze statue plaque. A boy is uninterested and the man asks him why. The boy, stroking Hachikō's neck, says “You come here, Mister. This is the real Hachi-kō. The Hachi-kō Bronze Statue isn’t interesting. Be kind to the real Hachi, instead.” Yaeko stated no other dog understood people the way Hachikō did and that he was truly gentle. Yaeko died on April 30, 1961, at the age of 76 and was buried at a temple in
Taitō, further away from Ueno's grave, despite her requests to her family members to be buried with her partner. In 2013, Yaeko's documents, indicating that she wanted to be buried with Ueno, were found by Sho Shiozawa, who is a professor of the University of Tokyo. Shiozawa was also the president of the Japanese Society of Irrigation, Drainage, and Rural Engineering, which manages Ueno's grave at Aoyama Cemetery. On November 10, 2013, which marked the 90th anniversary of the birth of Hachikō, Sho Shiozawa and Keita Matsui, a curator of the , felt the need of Yaeko to be buried together with Ueno and Hachikō. The process began with willing consent from the Ueno and Sakano families and the successful negotiations with management of the Aoyama Cemetery. However, due to regulations and
bureaucracy, the process took about 2 years. and Professor Itoh writes "That her son was born when Hachi was one year old has never been mentioned in any document, to the knowledge of this author." He was also present at the first “Best Idol Dog” presentation in 2009. He grew up in Ueno Hidesaburō's home prefecture,
Mie Prefecture. There is no death record of a son of Hidesaburō and Yaeko dying young. He is the son of their once-mentioned son, Jin Ueno. It is possible that the Ueno family took this child away because he was illegitimate to give him legal protections, which was a common practice during that time. Jin grew up in Hisai, and was a "nephew" of Hidesaburō, though Hidesaburō and Yaeko were not allowed to see him. Jin became the mayor of Hisai and a member of the Mie Prefecture Assembly. Her first Akita,
Kamikaze-Go (“divine wind”), whom she called
Kami for short, was taken to meet her in Tokyo when she had to sail back to America. The first Akita given to her was
Kamikaze-Go, who was the first Akita to travel overseas from Japan and the first Akita in America. He died of an distemper two months after arriving in America on November 18, 1937, and Keller was given
Kamikaze-Go's brother in June 1, 1939 in Tokyo,
Kenzan-Go (“steep mountain”),
Go-go for short. Japan-US relations were in serious decline by then and there concern on both sides as to whether "G-go" would make it to America safely. Keller and Go-Go were great companions from day one. Go-Go even spent his first night at Keller's home sleeping at the foot of her bed. Go-go died in 1944 or 1945. After the end of World War II, many Americans brought many more Akitas, who were actually Shepherd-Akita mixes, back to America. These dogs became known as the American Akitas.
Shibuya Ward Minibus In 2003, in Shibuya ward, a minibus (officially called "Shibuya-ward Community Bus") started routes in the ward, nicknamed . The buses are different colors (red, orange, blue) to denote which of the three routes they run. The buses are short and narrow to aid in navigating Shibuya's congestion. People can hear the theme song , the "Hachikō Bus Song", in this bus. The song service began in July 2006.The Shibuya-ward school district adopted the song and elementary schools in the area play it during lunch time. ==Similar cases==