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Hachiko's 100th Anniversary! 5 Places Related to Japan's Famous Loyal Dog

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The loyal dog Hachiko was born in 1923 in the city of Odate, Akita Prefecture. Read on to learn five places related to Hachiko in Japan and the Hachiko 100 anniversary event taking place in Odate in November 2023.

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The Loyal Dog Hachiko's 100th Anniversary

Hachiko's 100th Anniversary! 5 Places Related to Japan's Famous Loyal Dog

Picture courtesy of PR Times

Many people from all around the world have heard the story of Hachi, the loyal Akita dog that waited for its owner long after he had passed away. Hachi's statue at Shibuya Station is very popular among visitors to Japan, but this is not the only place where you can greet the loyal dog!

In 2023, we celebrate 100 years since Hachi's birth! A large anniversary event is scheduled for November 11 - 12 in Odate (Akita), Hachi's birthplace. Moreover, various shops in Tokyo's Shibuya district offer limited-edition products inspired by the loyal dog's anniversary.

Read on to learn five places related to the loyal dog Hachi in Tokyo and Akita, along with the anniversary events in 2023 such as Tokyo Metro's Hachiko 100th Anniversary Tickets.

Hachiko's Story and 5 Places Related to Him

Hachiko: A Story of Loyalty
1. Shibuya Station's Hachiko Square
2. The University of Tokyo in Ueno
3. The National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno
4. Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo
5. Odate City in Akita
Tokyo Metro Hachiko 100th Anniversary Tickets
Other Hachiko Anniversary Events in Shibuya, Tokyo

Hachiko: A Story of Loyalty

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

If you aren't familiar with Hachi's story, let us shortly introduce it to you.

In early 1924, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor at the University of Tokyo, took a pure-breed Akita dog as a pet and named him Hachi. Hachi is the word for the number eight in Japanese, which is considered a lucky number.

Hachi used to follow Professor Ueno to Shibuya Station every morning where the professor would take the train to work. In the afternoon, the dog would pick him up at the station to go home together.

One morning in May 1925, Hachi accompanied Professor Ueno to the Station as always, but Ueno wouldn't return that afternoon. He suffered a brain hemorrhage at the university and passed away. Not aware of his owner's passing, Hachi kept returning to Shibuya Station every day to wait for him.

People tried to take Hachiko in, but he kept breaking free to go to Shibuya Station. Finally, he settled in the home of Ueno's former gardener close to Shibuya Station. However, this didn't stop him from going to Shibuya Station every day at precisely the time his owner would normally return.

The station staff and some residents weren't happy about the "stray dog" lurking around the station and tried to chase him away many times. But nothing could stop Hachi from returning every day to wait for his master.

He became famous after one of Professor Ueno's former students heard of Hachi's story and wrote about him. Hachi was even designated a national icon of loyalty after his story was published in the early 1930s. People added the "ko" (A word expressing affection) to his name in recognition of his loyalty. He is nowadays known as Hachiko.

Hachiko ended up waiting for his owner every day for nearly ten years until his passing in March 1935.

Now, let's see some of the places that are related to Hachi.

1. Shibuya Station's Hachiko Square

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

Hachi's famous bronze statue is located right in front of Shibuya Station's Hachiko Exit, which was named after him as well.

He was supposedly sitting here every day to wait for Professor Ueno. Many people take pictures of the statue or even decorate it.

On a snowy night in 2014, when the trains had stopped because of the snowfall and many people were stuck at Shibuya Station, someone even built a snow replica of the dog beside the statue.

But did you know that this is not the original statue? The original statue was revealed in 1934, one year before Hachi's death. Hachiko himself had been present when the statue was revealed. However, the original statue was melted and recycled in the war efforts of WWII.

In 1948, Takeshi Ando, the son of the original artist, created the statue you can see at Shibuya Station today.

Many dog lovers still celebrate Hachi every year commemorating the day of his death, March 8, by visiting the statue and offering presents.

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

However, the statue is not the only piece of Hachiko-related art you can see around Shibuya Station. You can also see a colorful mosaic wall art on the station wall right in front of the Hachiko Exit.

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

It shows Hachiko in different poses as well as some cute Akita puppies.

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

Even the manhole covers around the statue have Hachi on them!

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

And if you enter the underground passage beneath the statue, you will find dog paw prints all over the floor. These are supposed to represent Hachiko's paw prints.

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2. The University of Tokyo in Ueno

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

In 2015, the University of Tokyo revealed a statue in honor of its former employee and his famous dog. 2015 was the 80th anniversary of Hachi's passing. In Japan, 80 is pronounced hachi-juu, so it was a special year for Hachi.

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

The statue shows Professor Ueno and Hachi happily reunited. The campus is open to visitors and the statue is located right beside the entrance. There are even spotlights illuminating it at night. It is a truly heartwarming sight.

The statue is located right beside the No-Seimon Gate of the Hongo Campus, which can be easily accessed from Ueno.

A little-known fact is that the archive museum of the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Agriculture displays some of Hachi's preserved organs as well. Hachi was dissected after his passing. His organs were actually re-examined in 2011 to investigate the cause of his death. If you are interested, feel free to visit the museum and have a look.

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3. The National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

You might be surprised to know that you can find the real Hachiko at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno. Many people stroll past him without even recognizing him. The plate just reads "Akita dog (Hachi)", so you might just think that the taxidermy displayed with two other dogs is just a random Akita dog like Hachi. But it is actually the real taxidermied body of the loyal Hachiko!

He is displayed along with Jiro, another national hero. Jiro is one of the two Japanese Sakhalin Huskies famous for being the only two dogs surviving a year in Antarctica after being abandoned during a failed scientific expedition to the South Pole.

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4. Aoyama Cemetery

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

Burying animals at a human cemetery is not very common in Japan. However, in Hachi's case, there seemed to be no other appropriate way after his passing. He needed to be reunited with his beloved professor Ueno after he waited 10 years for this moment! So an exception was made. He was cremated and laid to rest beside his owner in the Aoyama cemetery.

Those in the knowing bring him offerings of snacks and place them in front of his doghouse-shaped little shrine.

Aoyama cemetery is especially beautiful in spring as it's a famous cherry blossom viewing spot as well.

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5. Odate City in Akita

5 Places Related To Hachiko - Follow The Pawsteps Of The Famous Dog!

©Akita Prefecture/©JNTO

Hachi was born on a farm near Odate City in Akita as a pure-breed Akita dog. The city prides itself on being the birthplace of the famous dog. You can find Hachi statues and comics wherever you go.

In front of Odate Station, you can find the other famous Hachi statue showcasing a young Hachi. The original was built a couple of months after the statue in Shibuya and suffered the same fate in WWII. It was rebuilt in the same year as the Shibuya Hachi.

For a while, they even tried to get the famous statue from Shibuya Station because they wanted Hachi to come home. In 2004, Akita Prefecture revealed a Hachi built on the stone pedestal of the original Shibuya statue in front of the Akita Dog Museum in Odate.

Hachiko's 100th Anniversary! 5 Places Related to Japan's Famous Loyal Dog

Picture courtesy of PR Times

On November 11 - 12, 2023, Odate City hosted the HACHI FES: Hachiko 100 Anniversary Event, a festival to mark Hachiko's 100th anniversary year. The event had free admission and featured booths by local manufacturers and dining facilities.

Odate is a great place to visit if you like Hachi and dogs in general, not to mention that Akita itself is an area with beautiful natural scenery and many other chams.

Tokyo Metro Hachiko 100th Anniversary Tickets

Hachiko's 100th Anniversary! 5 Places Related to Japan's Famous Loyal Dog

Picture courtesy of PR Times

To celebrate Hachiko's 100th anniversary, Tokyo Metro launched limited edition Hachiko 100th Anniversary Tickets, which will be on sale until March 31, 2024.

These limited edition tickets are a special version of the Tokyo Metro 24-Hour Ticket and can be purchased at Tokyo Metro's Shibuya Station and Omotesando Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line).

These special tickets are available for both adults and children. If you buy both types together, you'll receive them in a special paper cover with an adorable Hachiko-themed design.

Other Hachiko Events in 2023

Hachiko's 100th Anniversary! 5 Places Related to Japan's Famous Loyal Dog

Pictures courtesy of PR Times

While the main Hachiko anniversary event will be held in Odate, various stores and shops in Tokyo's Shibuya also offer limited edition products inspired by Hachiko.

One of these stores is Coneri Shibuya, a shop specializing in stick pie products. They are now offering two special sets of stick pie and dipping sauce with a Hachiko-themed design. These treats are not only tasty but they also make excellent souvenirs from Shibuya!

Hachiko's 100th Anniversary! 5 Places Related to Japan's Famous Loyal Dog

Picture courtesy of PR Times

Coneri is also selling shoulder bags with a Hachiko design! Please note that these are available only for a limited time.

Coneri Shibuya store: Map
Official website: https://coneri.jp/ (Japanese)

Take a walk around Shibuya in 2023 and you might notice that other shops are also holding limited-time events and campaigns celebrating Hachiko's anniversary. Join the fun!

A Story of Neverending Love and Devotion

Hachi's story of loyalty and love never fails to touch hearts and he will never be forgotten. His legacy has been kept alive in literature and movies all over the world.

We introduced you to some of the places that are helping preserve his memory. How about exploring the true story of Hachi yourself by visiting some of these places?

Main image by Pixta

Written by

I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany and am living in Tokyo, Japan since 2008. I am native in German and English.

I am a cat-mom to three rescue cats and I have a deep love for 90s rock music, kickboxing, history, chocolate and cookie dough, anything pistachio flavored, cats and bats, dragons and vampires and all things creepy-cute.

My favorite book author is Anne Rice. My favorite band is LUNA SEA.

My most recommended Japanese movie is 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence', featuring David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

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