A rare picture of Hachiko and Hidesaburo Ueno.

Man and his dog–it’s a friendship as old as time. Nothing quite matches the infinite loyalty and unbreakable bond between a dog and his owner.

Throughout the years, hundreds of incredibly touching stories have documented the amazing love that dog and man share with each other. None of these stories, however, quite surpass the tale of Hachiko, the dog who waited for his owner to return home. The story of Hachiko is by far one of the greatest stories told of a dog that remained loyal to his owner.

Shibuya Station in the 1920s, where Hachiko would meet his master.

The station was opened in 1885 with one island platform serving what is now the Yamanote Line.

Today, it's one of Japan’s busiest rail hubs, serving commuters from the western and southern parts of the Tokyo region. It’s also a stop on the Narita Express service for Narita Airport.

What’s more, Shibuya Station is undergoing a massive redevelopment that will add skyscrapers, office blocks and condominiums to the area surrounding the station. There are four main gates at the Shibuya Station. One gate is called the Hachiko Gate.

Another rare picture of Hachiko waiting at the Shibuya Station.

Hachiko was reportedly given away after his master’s death, but he regularly ran off to Shibuya Station hoping to meet the professor. Soon, the lone dog began to draw the attention of other commuters.

At first, the station workers were not all that friendly to Hachiko, but his loyalty won them over. Soon, they began to bring him treats and keep him company.

The days turned into weeks, then months, then years, and still Hachiko returned to the station each day to wait. His presence had a great impact on the local community of Shibuya and he became something of an icon.

One of Professor Ueno’s former students, Hirokichi Saito, who also happened to be an expert on the Akita breed, got wind of Hachiko’s story. He decided to take the train to Shibuya to see for himself if his professor’s pet would still be waiting.

When he arrived, he saw Hachiko there, as usual. He followed the dog from the station to the home of Ueno’s former gardener, Kuzaburo Kobayashi. There, Kobayashi filled him in on the story of Hachiko.

After the meeting with the gardener, Saito published a census on Akita dogs in Japan. He found that there were only 30 documented purebred Akitas — one being Hachiko.

Hidesaburo Ueno’s partner Yaeko Ueno and the station staff sit in mourning with the deceased Hachiko.

Hachiko’s story finally came to an end on March 8, 1935, when he was found dead in the streets of Shibuya at the age of 11. Scientists, who weren’t able to determine his cause of death until 2011, found that the dog Hachiko likely died of a filaria infection and cancer.

Hachiko’s passing made national headlines. He was cremated and his ashes were placed next to Professor Ueno’s grave in Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo. The master and his loyal dog had finally reunited.

Although cremated, his fur was preserved, stuffed, mounted and is currently on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo and regularly groomed by professionals.

The Hachiko story is a massive part of Japanese culture. The dog’s legendary loyalty reflects the broader Japanese values of dedication, perseverance, and selfless love for others.

Although Hachiko’s life ended decades ago, his story continues to live on. Movies, documentaries, statues and several articles have been written to remember Hachiko's legacy.

Because Hachi remained loyal to his owner up until Hachi’s death, a bronze statue of Hachiko was erected outside the Shibuya Station as a tribute to the dog.

The statue was destroyed during World War II. Although the original Hachiko dog statue could not be restored, a new one replaced it in the same exact spot at the end of the war in 1948.

The spot has become a popular neighborhood park where locals and tourists can honor and admire this loyal dog.

A similar statue, erected in 2004, can be found in Odate, Hachiko’s original hometown, where it stands in front of the Akita Dog Museum.

The Tokyo University built a sculpture of Hachiko and Professor Ueno at the Department of Agricultural Sciences. This is where Professor Ueno used to teach before he passed away. Sculptor Tsutomu Ueda perfectly depicted the unconditional love between Professor Ueno and Hachiko in his work to commemorate the treasured Akita’s 80th death anniversary on March 8, 2015.

The official name of this statue is Statue of Hachiko and Dr Hidesaburo Ueno. which shows Hachiko welcomes Professor Ueno from work. Many people call this a "reunion" statue of Hachiko and Ueno.

A national symbol of family loyalty, this is the second bronze statue erected in Tokyo to commemorate the bond between the Akita and Professor.

Hidesaburo Ueno, (January 19, 1872 – May 21, 1925) was a Japanese agricultural scientist, famous in Japan as the guardian of Hachiko, a devoted Akita dog.

Ueno was born in Hisai-shi (present-day Tsu), Mie Prefecture. In 1895, he graduated from Tokyo Imperial University's agriculture department, and in the same year, he entered graduate school to study agricultural engineering and farm implement research.

Seen as Japan’s first real authority on agricultural civil engineering, he trained more than 3,000 engineers in the first two decades of the 20th century. This training, plus his own considerable knowledge, proved invaluable for Japan’s reconstruction

The Akita is a muscular, double-coated dog of ancient Japanese lineage famous for their dignity, courage, and loyalty. In their native land, they're venerated as family protectors and symbols of good health, happiness, and long life.

Akitas are burly, heavy-boned spitz-type dogs of imposing stature. Standing 24 to 28 inches at the shoulder, Akitas have a dense coat that comes in several colors, including white. The head is broad and massive, and is balanced in the rear by a full, curled-over tail. The erect ears and dark, shining eyes contribute to an expression of alertness, a hallmark of the breed.

Akitas are quiet, fastidious dogs. Wary of strangers and often intolerant of other animals, Akitas will gladly share their silly, affectionate side with family and friends. They thrive on human companionship. The large, independent-thinking Akita is hardwired for protecting those they love. They must be well socialized from birth with people and other dogs.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale is a 2009 American drama film and a remake of Kaneto Shindo's 1987 Japanese film Hachikō Monogatari. The original film told the true story of the Akita dog named Hachikō who lived in Japan 1923-1935.

This version, which places it in a modern American context, was directed by Lasse Hallström, written by Stephen P. Lindsey and Kaneto Shindo, and produced by Richard Gere, Bill Johnson and Vicki Shigekuni Wong. The film stars Gere, Joan Allen, Sarah Roemer, Jason Alexander and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 13, 2009, and its first theatrical release was in Japan on August 8, 2009. The film was given a UK theatrical release on March 12, 2010, courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors, and opened in more than 60 countries throughout 2009 and 2010.

By the end of September 2010, the film's foreign box office returns had totalled more than $45 million. Sony Pictures Entertainment decided to forgo a U.S. theatrical release, bringing the film out on DVD on March 9, 2010 and eventually selling it to the Hallmark Channel, where it debuted on September 26, 2010.

https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film994598.html

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/akita/

https://www.cesarsway.com/hachiko-story-hachi/

https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Hachi/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/hachiko-dog

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachi:_A_Dog's_Tale

https://yts.mx/movies/hachi-a-dogs-tale-2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6U7mAnPtw4