Hachiko: The Real Story Behind Tokyo’s Most Famous Statue

If you visit Tokyo, crossing the chaotic Shibuya intersection is probably on your bucket list. But right next to that scramble, there is a small bronze statue that draws just as big a crowd.

It’s the statue of Hachiko, an Akita dog. While it’s the most popular meeting point in the city today, the real story behind it is far lonelier—and deeply moving.

Here is the true history of Japan’s most loyal dog.

The Morning Routine

In the early 1920s, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor at the University of Tokyo, adopted a golden Akita puppy named Hachi. They quickly became inseparable.

Their routine was simple but sweet. Every morning, Hachi walked the professor to Shibuya Station. He would watch his owner disappear into the ticket gates, and then, remarkably, he would return to the station at the exact time the evening train arrived to walk him home.

For a year, this was a daily sight for commuters and station staff.

The Wait That Lasted a Lifetime

On May 21, 1925, the routine was broken. Hachi walked the professor to the station as usual, but Ueno never came back. He had suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage during a lecture at the university.

Hachi was still a young dog, and he didn't understand why his master wasn't getting off the train.

Most dogs would eventually give up, but Hachi’s loyalty was different. Every single day, for the next 9 years, 9 months, and 15 days, he walked to the station precisely when the evening train was due. He sat there, waited, scanned the crowd, and eventually walked away alone, only to return the next day.

From Stray to Legend

At first, people at the station weren't very friendly. They thought he was just a stray nuisance. But after a newspaper article was published in 1932 detailing his loyalty to the late Professor Ueno, everything changed.

People started bringing him treats and food. He became a national icon of loyalty ("Chuken" in Japanese). In fact, Hachiko became so famous that the bronze statue we see today was erected in 1934, while he was still alive. Hachiko himself was present at the unveiling.

A Quiet Ending

On March 8, 1935, Hachiko was found dead on a street near Shibuya Station. He was 11 years old.

Today, his remains are kept at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, but his spirit is definitely still at Shibuya. It’s a sad story, but also a beautiful reminder of the bond between humans and dogs.

So, when you take a photo with the Hachiko statue, remember that you aren't just standing next to a tourist spot. You’re standing at the exact spot where a dog waited nearly ten years for his best friend to come home.