気ままなリライト５４

ハチ公への愛、時空超え　今年で生誕100年

The unshakable conviction that the loved one will come back to you if you stick to being where you are supposed to be to wait for the loved one to return, regardless of whether the loved one is dead or alive, has touched a chord deep within people around the world through the story of the faithful dog called Hachiko born in 1923 on a farm in Akita Prefecture and later adopted by a professor at the University of Tokyo. Since Hachiko’s death in 1935, his perseverance in doing what he has “believed” has been passed down from generation to generation to underscore how unbreakable the bond was between him and the professor or how strong devotion a dog can share with his owner. In honor of the 100 th anniversary of Hachiko’s birth, what Hachiko has taught us as humans through his life story is resonating deeply in our minds.

Many witnesses’ memory of what has happed between Hachiko and his owner named Hidesaburo Ueno and what has happened to Hachiko after Ueno’s sudden death left Hachiko behind has made a dog’s tale the most touching, heartbreaking story of the amazing love a dog has for his master. The two’s daily routine would give a feeling of pleasure to local residents and station workers as Ueno and Hachiko would walk together to the Shibuya train station where Hachiko would see Ueno off when the professor would get on the train to work in the morning and Hachiko would greet Ueno on his return from work in the evening. The routine went on for several years until one evening when Ueno’s death due to a brain hemorrhage during his work made it impossible for him to show up before Hachiko waiting to greet him. To the astonishment of all involved, Hachiko’s single-minded determination to search for Ueno had never worn out. Even though Hachiko perceived intuitively what happened to Ueno would rob Hachiko of what mattered to him and that Ueno would never come back to him alive, nothing made him give up on Ueno. Every day like clockwork, when the train that was supposed to carry Ueno would arrive at Shibuya Station, so would Hachiko. What seemed fruitless to local witnesses continued for more than nine years until Hachiko’s death.

What didn’t make Hachi give up on Ueno has turned Hachi’s nine-year fruitless efforts into the evocative idea of what loyalty means. That has inspired many people at home and abroad to share Hachi’s reminiscences with next generations. Hachi’s life story was made into an American movie titled Hachi, A Dog’s Tale in 2009. A Hachiko’s bronze statue erected outside Shibuya Station is magnetizing tourists and visitors as a landmark for a rendezvous where Hachiko-like patience is put to the test.

With the widely popular Hachi’s story worth being remembered and handed down, a Hachiko remembrance project is being launched by municipalities linked to the places where Hachi was born and brought up to honor the 100 th year of Hachi’s birth. Through the project organized by Shibuya Ward and Odate City, Akita Prefecture, the project board members are aiming to cherish the timeless message Hachi wanted to convey to someone special, the message making Hachi more humane than humans, because in any given era, only a few people have a chance of being chosen by humane dogs like Hachi as their eligible companions or long-lasting soul mates from the perspective of dogs.