Loyal Dog Hachikō Day

What Is Loyal Dog Hachikō Day?

Every April 8th is "Loyal Dog Hachikō Day" in Japan. It was established by the association that maintains the Hachikō statue and the Akita dog group statue, among others, and a memorial service has been held in front of the statue at Shibuya Station on this day every year since 1936. Hachikō died on March 8, 1935; the service is said to have been moved one month later to coincide with the cherry blossom season (some sources instead link the date to the statue). Hachikō had become a living legend by then — an Akita dog who had faithfully waited at Shibuya Station every day for his deceased owner, Professor Hidesaburō Ueno, for nearly ten years. A bronze statue honoring his devotion was unveiled at Shibuya Station on April 21, 1934, with the loyal dog himself in attendance, making him the most famous dog in Japan.

The Story of Hachikō

Hachikō was born in 1923 in Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, and in 1924 was given to Professor Ueno of the Imperial University of Tokyo. Every day, Hachikō would accompany his owner to Shibuya Station in the morning and return in the afternoon to meet him. In May 1925, Professor Ueno died suddenly of a stroke while at work at the university. He never returned to Shibuya Station. But Hachikō did — every single day, arriving at the station at the time his owner's train was due, waiting, and returning home disappointed. He continued this vigil for nine years, nine months, and fifteen days until his own death on March 8, 1935.

A Living Symbol of Loyalty

Station workers, vendors, and commuters at Shibuya noticed Hachikō's faithful daily vigil and began sharing food with him and caring for him. In 1932, an article in the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun about the waiting dog touched the hearts of readers across Japan. Hachikō became a national symbol of fidelity and devotion. Schoolchildren were taught his story as an example of loyalty; the word "Hachikō" became synonymous with faithfulness in Japanese culture.

The Statue and Its Legacy

The bronze statue unveiled in April 1934 was created by sculptor Teru Andō. The original statue was removed under wartime metal requisition and is said to have been melted down on August 14, 1945—the day before the war ended—and turned into locomotive parts, but a second statue — created by Andō's son Takeshi — was installed in 1948 and stands to this day. The Hachikō exit of Shibuya Station, adjacent to the statue, is one of Tokyo's most famous meeting points. Hachikō's story has been told in films, books, and television productions in Japan and internationally — most notably the 1987 Japanese film "Hachikō Monogatari" and its 2009 Hollywood adaptation "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" starring Richard Gere.

Fun Facts

• Preserved for posterity: Hachikō's taxidermied remains are on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo. His organs were preserved at the University of Tokyo, and a re-examination announced in 2011 confirmed he had cancer in his heart and lungs.
• The Akita breed: The Akita, Hachikō's breed, is designated a Natural Monument of Japan, and Hachikō's story helped draw attention to the breed.
• Meeting at Hachikō: "Hachikō de aimasho" ("Let's meet at Hachikō") is a familiar phrase in Tokyo — the statue is one of the city's best-known meeting points.
• A reunion of statues: At the Hachikō festival on April 8, 1984, the statue's 50th anniversary, a bust of Professor Ueno was brought from the University of Tokyo for a "reunion" of the two statues. In 2015, a statue of Hachikō leaping up to greet the professor was completed on the university's agriculture campus.