Hachiko: a monument in Tokyo. Monuments to the dog Hachiko in Japan

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

The monument to the dog Hachiko was erected in Tokyo on April 21, 1934. It is considered a symbol of devotion and fidelity. The dog, in whose memory the monument was built, was born on November 10, 1923 in Akita Prefecture, Japan. By the way, the breed of this puppy is also called Akita. The farmer gave the puppy to Professor Hidesaburo Ueno, who worked at the University of Tokyo. When Hachiko grew up, he always accompanied his beloved master. The professor went to work every day in the city, and the faithful dog accompanied him to the very entrance to the Shibuya station, and then met him at three in the afternoon.

In May 1925, the professor had a heart attack while he was at work. He never returned home and died, despite all the efforts of the doctors. At that time, Hachiko was 18 months old. Then he did not wait for his master, but began to come to this station every day, waiting for him until late in the evening. He spent the nighton the porch of the professor's house. Friends and relatives of Hidesaburo Ueno, concerned about the fate of their faithful friend, tried to take the dog to live with them, but she still continued to come to the station day after day.

The further fate of the faithful dog Hachiko

Local merchants and railroad workers were delighted with Hachiko, whose monument is now revered by all Japanese. They fed him. Japan learned about this dog in 1932, after an article was published in one of the popular newspapers in Tokyo, "A faithful dog is waiting for the return of his owner, who died 7 years ago."

The people of Japan were captivated by this story, and interested people often came to Shibuya Station to look at Hachiko, whose monument was erected on April 21, 1934. A devoted friend came to the station for nine whole years, until his death. The dog died on March 8, 1935 from heart filaria. He was found on the street, not far from the station. All about the death of the dog spread throughout the country, and mourning was declared. Hachiko's bones were buried next to the professor's grave at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo. And a stuffed animal was made from his skin, which is still kept in the National Museum of Science.

During the Second World War, the monument was destroyed, using the metal for military purposes. But at the end of the war it was restored. This happened in August 1948. The son of the sculptor who created the first pedestal was engaged in the restoration of the monument (at that time the sculptor himself had already died). was educatedspecial committee to collect voluntary donations. Takeshi (the sculptor's son) had no difficulty recreating the sculpture. According to him, he remembers the work of his father and could fashion a monument by closing his eyes. But either the collected funds were not enough, or such were the requirements of the order, but the new pedestal was a little smaller.

Symbol of Allegiance at Shibuya Station

Tokyo's Hachiko Monument is now a popular meeting place for lovers. And the very image of this dog in Japan is considered a symbol of selfless love and fidelity. In 1987, the film "The Story of Hachiko" was filmed, and in 2009 - a remake of it called "Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend"

Surely every city has such a traditional meeting place. Dog Hachiko (a monument in Japan) is just such a place. If you ask the Japanese where they most often make dates, the answer will be unanimous - Hachiko.

Tokyo Shibuya Station Square

Shibuya is a large transport hub, where commuter trains, buses and city subways converge. There are constant streams of people, a huge number of boutiques, restaurants and department stores. The area near the station is considered the most popular center for nightlife. Among all this whirlwind, a low pedestal with a bronze image of a dog invariably attracts attention. The words "Faithful dog Hachiko" are written on the pedestal.

Hachiko - a monument to the faithful dog

Entrepreneurs also began to actively use the theme of a devoted dog. In a department storeTokyu, built near the station, opened a small shop where you could buy souvenirs "from Hachiko". They were soft toy dogs or dog paw print towels. The shop is popular, as it is visited by all Japanese schoolchildren who come to the capital on vacation. The monument to the dog Hachiko in Shibuya is not the only one in Japan. There are two more sculptures at Odate Station in Akita Prefecture, where this dog is from. One of them is completely identical to the one that stands at the station square in Shibuya, and the second depicts puppies of the Akita breed and is called "Young Hachiko and his friends."

Example of devotion and fidelity

Where the monument to Hachiko stands, all the Japanese know. The theme is very popular in the country and is practically inexhaustible. Several books have been published in Japan describing the life of a dog. One of them was created in the form of a comic strip. In 2004, two books about Hachiko were released in the US.

Of course, the loy alty of a devoted dog deserves respect, but why did Hachiko become not just one of the examples of dogs' attachment to humans, but practically the hero of the entire Japanese nation? There is an opinion that the whole thing is in the time when the events described occurred. Japan was on the verge of a big war, and the authorities tried to show their subjects an example of diligence and selflessness.

Loy alty to the owner has long been revered by the Japanese as the highest of noble traits. This is probably why Hachiko is a monument - and the story of a devoted dog is second only to tragic ones in popularity.stories about samurai who gladly gave their lives for the opportunity to take revenge on the offender of their master. The press at that time expressed the opinion that the story of Hachiko was included in the school reader in order to warm up the loyal feelings of the people of Japan to their emperor and government on the eve of the expected hostilities. Thus, they sought to return the lost values of the morality of the nation, which were a little blurred at that time under the influence of Western countries.

Whatever it was, but since then the image of the faithful dog Hachiko has become an example of selfless love and loy alty for the Japanese. Therefore, one should not be surprised that many Tokyo lovers choose the Hachiko monument for their meetings and dates.