Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog

Some of you may remember my previous review of a similar book entitled Hachiko Waits by Leslea Newman.

This is a much shorter picture book version of the same story written by Pamela S Turner and illustrated by Yan Nascimbene.

It relates the major details of the story about a dog named Hachiko owned by Professor Ueno who waits for the Professor every day at the train station to arrive home from work.

One day Professor Ueno does not come home, having died at his place of work, a nearby University, that day.

But still Hachiko waits.  And he waits and he waits and he waits.

“Hachiko comes back to the house (Professo Ueno’s house) every night to sleep on the porch.  But in the morning, he walks to the station just like he did with Dr. Ueno.  When the last train leaves the station, he returns home.”

He waits every day at the train station until his death at the Shibuya Station almost 10 years later.

A statue now stands in the station very near where Hachiko used to wait, honoring his loyalty and undying devotion.

This site has great information on the story and if you scroll down to the bottom pictures of the real Hachiko:

http://www.vickiwongandhachi.com/

This is a good site as well:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachikō

I love this story.  It illustrates why many of us are dog owners in this country and what an integral part they play in our lives.  It appeals to us because I think as humans we struggle with loyalty; whereas, dogs don’t.  They don’t think about it.  They just are.

Something we deeply desire as well.

This is how I picture Hachi waiting:

                         Hachi lived from 1923 to 1935.