Nach einer wahren Geschichte.

Today I went to Shibuya! My primary motivation to head that way was the World Ends with You, one of my favourite DS games. Nerdy, I know, but hey, that’s the way I am. The crowds were huge, and I think going during the week would have diluted the whole experience. I followed the crowd at first, crossing at the scramble, passing by 109 (104 in game) and up towards Dogenzaka. After that, I found Mark City (Pork City in game). I wandered the back streets, surprising myself with the number of love hotels around, it seemed there was one any time I looked at specific buildings instead of the scene in front of me. Next, a quick peek at the arcade below 109.

At Tokyu Hands (Shibu-Q Heads), I made some unplanned souvenir purchases for friends but one of them was too good to pass up and the others just seemed like things they’d like. On the way to Tower Records (Towa Records), I saw someone dressed in an unusual costume. With the wings on the back, I thought at first it might be a moogle, then I started picking apart all the differences. If anyone knows what that’s supposed to be, leave a comment, eh?

So, Tower Records. It’s huge and full of music, DVDs, and BDs. While on level 4, looking for the soundtracks for TWEWY and Megaman ZX, a woman started a live performance, drawing a small crowd. Unfortunately the soundtrack section appeared to only have movies and anime, no games at all, so I left without anything. On my way back to the scramble I wandered past OICITY (Cadoi City), and saw another live performance. I decided this time to take a look around for Hachiko, and found the Moyai, but not the dog. I figured I’d find it on my next pass and moved along.

Following the back streets, I found a MOS Burger! I had the tobikiri kinokoburger, a kurokke, and white grape soda. I’m not sure where the fries came into things, I didn’t order them but they came with my order. Yay? The kurokke was fine, veggietastic, not sure it warrants its own burger. The kinoko burger, though, was just awesome. I want more of them. Too bad there aren’t any in Canada… maybe something to look into. Or at least I should figure out the ingredients to try and replicate it at home.

I stopped by another arcade and played a couple games, including Beatmania IIDX and Taiko no Tatsujin. I played on beginner and felt a little silly playing at that level, but I couldn’t read the Japanese instructions and wanted to play it safe. I got multiple plays per credit so I was able to try some more challenging stuff.

Some more wandering later, I stopped at HMV (AMX), again looking for soundtracks, but they didn’t even have a soundtrack section. They also had a band playing but they were very loud and I didn’t stay for long. At my next trip to the station, I finally found Hachiko. I imagined he would be larger than he was, but it was cool to find him. Definitely a popular meeting spot and photo op. I had to wait a few minutes to get a clear shot without him being crowded with people.

At this point I was starting to feel I’d had enough of Shibuya and decided to check out the Meiji Shrine before returning to the hotel. So, I wandered off via Miyashita Park (same), which is basically just a bit of green space on either side of the train tracks, not much to see. At the shrine, there were at least two weddings going on, and plenty of people were shooting the processions so I joined the club. I suspected weddings, but didn’t get confirmation for sure until I saw a sign in front of one of the inner buildings, asking visitors to please be deferential to weddings in progress.

I returned to the hotel via Shibuya and here I am. Tomorrow I’m going to check out the cosplayers at Harajuku, then go to Tachikawa for the Final Fantasy Tactics concert.

Photos

Feinfühlend, berührend und humorvoll. HACHIKO handelt von tiefem Vertrauen und einer wunderbaren Freundschaft. Der Film beruht auf einer wahren Geschichte…

Fazit:

Vertrauen stellt keine Bedingungen. Es ist aber die Bedingung für jeden Erfolg.

Wir haben keine Wahl – wir müssen uns aufeinander verlassen.

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Hachikō (ハチ公, Hachikō^?) (10 novembre 1923 – 8 marzo 1935) fu un cane di razza Akita che dopo la morte del suo padrone (pendolare, per esigenze di lavoro, sulla linea ferroviaria Tokyo -Shibuya) si recò ogni giorno – per quasi dieci anni – ad attenderlo, invano, alla stazione. La vicenda ebbe un enorme riscontro nell’opinione pubblica dell’epoca e ben presto Hachikō divenne, in Giappone, un emblema di affetto e lealtà. Nel 1934, al fedele animale fu dedicata una statua e, negli anni, la sua storia divenne il soggetto di un film e alcuni libri. Conosciuto anche come Chūken Hachikō (忠犬 ハチ公,, Chūken Hachikō^? letteralmente cane fedele Hachikō), il suo vero nome era Hachi (il suffisso “kō” è usato come vezzeggiativo).

Hachikō nacque a Odate, nella Prefettura di Akita, il 10 novembre 1923. Era un esemplare maschio di Akita bianco. All’età di due mesi, venne adottato da Hidesamuroh Ueno, un professore universitario del dipartimento agricolo di Tokyo, che lo portò con sé nella sua abitazione a Shibuya. Ogni mattina, il professor Ueno si dirigeva alla stazione di Shibuya per andare a lavorare. Il suo fedele cane lo accompagnava sempre e ritornava alla stazione quando il suo padrone rientrava dalla giornata lavorativa.

Purtroppo il 21 maggio 1925, Ueno morì di arresto cardiaco mentre era all’università. Hachikō, come ogni giorno, si presentò alla stazione per le 3 del pomeriggio (l’orario in cui il suo padrone solitamente arrivava), ma il professor Ueno non era ancora tornato. Il cane attese invano il suo arrivo. Ciononostante, tornò alla stazione il giorno seguente e fece così anche nei giorni successivi. Con il passare del tempo, il capostazione di Shibuya e le persone che prendevano quotidianamente il treno iniziarono ad accorgersi di lui e cercarono di accudirlo offrendogli cibo e riparo.

Con il tempo, tutto il popolo giapponese venne a conoscenza della storia di Hachikō, tant’è che molte persone andavano a Shibuya solo per vederlo e per poterlo accarezzare. Nonostante il passare degli anni e la sua età avanzante che lo indebolì progressivamente, il cane continuò imperterrito a recarsi alla stazione per poter rivedere il suo padrone. Nell’ aprile 1934, venne realizzata, ad opera dello scultore Teru Ando, una statua in bronzo con le sue sembianze che fu posta nella stazione di Shibuya (un’altra simile è stata eretta a  Odate, il suo luogo natale); lo stesso cane fu presente all’inaugurazione.

L’ 8 marzo 1935 Hachikō morì di filariasi all’età di 12 anni, dopo aver atteso, ininterrottamente, per ben 10 anni, il ritorno del suo padrone. La sua morte impietosì la comunità nipponica, la notizia venne inserita in tutte le prime pagine dei giornali giapponesi e venne dichiarato un giorno di lutto per ricordare il suo reiterato gesto di fedeltà nei confronti del padrone.

Con la venuta della Seconda guerra mondiale, il governo giapponese, necessitando quantità ingenti di metalli per costruire le armi, ordinò di usare anche quello della statua di Hachikō. Nel 1948, tre anni dopo la fine del conflitto, Takeshi Ando, figlio di Teru, ricevette la commissione di scolpire una nuova statua raffigurante il cane, sempre nello stesso posto di quella precedente.

Nonostante il corpo di Hachikō sia stato preservato tramite tassidermia ed esposto al Museo Nazionale di Natura e Scienza a nordovest della stazione, alcune sue ossa sono sepolte nel cimitero di Aoyama, accanto alla tomba del professor Ueno. L’ 8 aprile di ogni anno, in Giappone viene organizzata una cerimonia per ricordare Hachikō, ove partecipano vari amanti dei cani che portano il loro omaggio alla sua lealtà e alla sua devozione.

(Una dolcissima storia giapponese)

Últimamente me encuentro algo apagada, por motivos personales. Y encima para colmo, el otoño, la estación de la melancolía por antonomasia, está aquí y esta temperatura no ayuda mucho. Pero a veces la vida te demuestra que no todo está perdido. Hace cuatro días, aunque estaba muy cerrada en mis pensamientos, hice algo que escribió mi compañero Cerote, fijarme en los detalles. Ví que en la parada del autobús había un cartel que anunciaba la última película de Richard Gere, “Siempre a tu lado, Hachiko”. Por lo general, los anuncios de la cartelera me suelen pasar desapercibidos, pero el de esa película  me llamo la atención sobre que podía tratar. Pensé que tendría que  haber algo más profundo que un perro que acompaña a la estación a su amo, que era lo que veía anunciado en la televisión, asi que averigué por Internet. Y descubrí una preciosa historia sobre la lealtad, que la resumiré a continuación:

Hachiko era el perro de Eisaburō Ueno, un profesor universitario de Tokio de principios del siglo XX. Como no podía acompañarlo hasta la facultad, le esperaba siempre en la estación de tren de Shibuya, desde donde partía su amo al trabajo. En mayo de 1925, Ueno murió en la universidad, pero su perro, al ver que no volvía nunca a su casa, le estuvo esperando en la estación. Aunque pasasen los años; hubiera nieve, lluvia o hiciese mucho calor o frío y los viajeros intentasen que el perro volviera a su hogar, Hachiko siempre estaba ahí en la terminal. Los japoneses, admirados por el cáracter del perro, hicieron en 1934 una estatua suya en una de las salidas de la estación. Hachiko falleció un año después por una enfermedad.  Hoy en día, esta estatua es un símbolo de Tokio y un punto de encuentro muy conocido.

Estatua de Hachiko en la estación de Shibuya

Pero tampoco hace falta ir a un país tan lejano como Japón.

Hubo una situación muy parecida aquí en España, en Cádiz, con un perro llamado Canelo, que esperaba en la puerta de un hospital donde su amo se hacía la diálisis. Un día, el hombre murío allí debido a sus complicaciones renales y su perro hizo lo mismo que Hachiko. Canelo fue ganando con el tiempo el cariño popular, ya que los gaditanos consiguieron que no fuese sacrificado. Aunque una organización defensora de los animales intentó que el perro volviera a tener dueño, este siempre se escapaba e iba hacia el hospital. Estuvo allí durante unos 12 años, hasta que en 2002 un coche le atropelló. Cádiz para recordarle, puso su nombre a una calle cerca del edificio donde aguardaba a su dueño.

Aquí cuelgo un video que, aunque he reconoconer que es muy emotivo, es el único que encontré en el que aparece Canelo:

Viendo todo esto tenemos que reconocer que los humanos tenemos mucho que aprender de los animales, ¿o no?

Shibuya Crossing

Shibuya is one of the most iconic places in Japan.  It was predominantly popularized by the movie “Lost in Translation” and “Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”.  Both of these movies showed sections of what some people call, the busiest intersection of the world.  Unfortunately, neither of these movies truly tells of the real character, or life of Shibuya.  The modern reality is that a lot of people hate Shibuya because it is mainly a high school and college hang out.  However, Shibuya is definitely one of the places that tourists should visit in order to understand the various subcultures of Tokyo itself.

The first thing that must be done in Shibuya is to find an exit, or to find a meeting spot.  The Hachiko Exit and the Hachiko statue is the most famous meeting spot in Shibuya.  In October 2009, the movie Hachiko: A Dog’s Story, staring Richard Gere will be released, retelling the story of Hachiko.

Statue of Hachiko

In 1924, Hachiko was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner’s life Hachiko saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return on the usual train one evening. The professor had suffered a stroke at the university that day. He died and never returned to the train station where his friend was waiting.

Hachiko was given away after his master’s death, but he routinely escaped, showing up again and again at his old home. Eventually, Hachiko apparently realized that Professor Ueno no longer lived at the house. So he went to look for his master at the train station where he had accompanied him so many times before. Each day, Hachiko waited for Professor Ueno to return. And each day he did not see his friend among the commuters at the station.

The permanent fixture at the train station that was Hachiko attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachiko and Professor Ueno together each day. They brought Hachiko treats and food to nourish him during his wait.

This continued for 10 years, with Hachiko appearing only in the evening time, precisely when the train was due at the station.

Commemorating this real story, there is a statue of Hachiko just outside the train station.  If you want to see Hachiko himself, you can go to the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno where his body was stuffed and put on display.  The other major meeting spot is at the West Bus Loop where there is a statue of the “Moyai”.  It is a gift from the island of Nijima that resembles the Moai of Easter Island.  This is generally an easier place to meet people, but it isn’t as convenient.

Tsutaya at Shibuya Crossin (Credit to a friend for the picture)

The Hachiko exit not only provides a quick look at the statue of Hachiko himself, but you can also board an old style train car, and see one of the most famous spots in Japan, Shibuya Crossing.  This is a typical scramble crossing, but what you don’t realize is how busy it is.  During the day, it is busy, but manageable.  At night, once the bars start opening up, the crossing becomes a chaotic sprint to get from A to B.  Many tourists will head through taking video of this crossing.  It’s not something people enjoy doing everyday.  One of the best vantage points of the crossing is at Starbucks, situated in the Tsutaya building on the North West corner of the intersection.  Do beware that this Starbucks is extremely popular and always crowded.  Finding a window seat can be a challenge in itself.  The good thing about this building is that it provides a great way to start exploring Shibuya.  Whichever way you go from here, you’ll see different sides of the city, and different cultures.

This is Part I of a III part series.  Tune in next week for Part II.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachikō

このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。

Eines Abends findet Professor Parker auf seinem Heimweg einen herrenlosen Hundewelpen am Bahnhof. Zunächst hofft er noch möglichst schnell den Besitzer ausfindig zu machen, zumal auch seine Frau nicht gerade begeistert von dem verspielten Vierbeiner ist. Doch nachdem sich niemand meldet, ist es um Parker bereits geschehen: Er hat den Hund in sein Herz geschlossen. Er findet heraus, dass der knuffige Freund bereits den Namen Hachiko trägt und ein Akita ist – eine sehr alte und edle Hunderassen aus Japan. Damit erklären sich auch die Eigenheiten von Hachiko: Er wird zwar ein treuer Gefährte, ist aber nicht dafür zu gewinnen einen Ball zu aportieren. Zwischen Parker und seinem Hund entwickelt sich im Laufe der Zeit eine immer tiefere Bindung. Schließlich begleitet Hachiko sein Herrchen jeden Morgen zum Bahnhof und holt ihn am Abend wieder dort ab. Auch als Parker eines Tages nicht mehr am Bahnhof ankommt wartet Hachiko geduldig…

Wer sich einmal wieder einen richtig anrührenden Film anschauen möchte und noch dazu Tiere mag, ist in diesem Streifen genau richtig. Regisseur Lasse Hallström verfilmt einen alten Stoff neu und lässt seinen Freund Richard Gere gerne die Hauptrolle übernehmen – von ihm bekam er nämlich das Drehbuch und war sofort neugierig. Der wahre Hachiko und sein Herrchen Professor Hidesaburo Ueno lebten in den zwanziger Jahren, in denen es bereits nur noch etwa 30 reinrassige Akita-Hunde in Japan gab. Nachdem der Professor an einem Herzinfarkt starb, kam Hachiko dennoch den Rest seines Lebens jeden Tag zur gleichen Zeit zum Bahnhof, um auf seinen Gefährten zu warten. Ihm und seiner lebenslangen Treue zu Ehren wurde am Bahnhof eine Bronzestatue von ihm errichtet. Bereits 1987 wurde Hachikos Geschichte in Japan verfilmt und wurde ein Blockbuster. Diese US-amerikanische Version zeichnet den Lebensweg Hachikos einfühlsam nach und macht den Hund eindeutig zum Star des Geschehens. Natürlich überzeugt auch der alte Hase Richard Gere in der Rolle des wesensguten und anständigen Parker. Mit dieser Mischung ergibt sich ein rührender Film über eine einzigartige Freundschaft zwischen Mensch und Tier, die nicht nur Tierliebhaber begeistern wird. Die Geschichte lädt zum zurücklehnen ein und kommt völlig ohne haarsträubende Action, brachialen Humor oder Special Effects aus. Stattdessen besinnt der Film auf andere Werte und erinnert fast ein bisschen an die alten Lassie-Filme. Aber hier geht es nicht um einen perfekten Hund, der auf wundersame Weise alles versteht was man ihm sagt und der damit sogar Leben zu retten vermag, sondern um eine wahre Geschichte eines treuen Hundes. Das rührt noch mehr als ein ganzer Haufen süßer Collies.
Hachiko startet am 12.11. in den deutschen Kinos – und Taschentücher nicht vergessen!

5 von 6 Sternen (*****)

Der schwedische Regisseur Lasse Hallström – der u.a. Werke wie „Gilbert Grape – Irgendwo in Iowa“ oder „Chocolat“ ablieferte – veramerikanisierte die Handlung des 1987er Filmes “Hachiko Monogatari” von Seijirô Kôyama und steckte Richard Gere in die Rolle eines sympathischen Musikprofessors namens Parker Wilson, der eines Abends auf dem Heimweg vom Bahnhof einen Akita-Welpen findet. Da das Bahnhofspersonal sich außer Stande sieht sich um den kleinen Hund zu kümmern, nimmt Wilson ihn mit zu sich nach Hause. “Hachiko – Eine wunderbare Freundschaft” erzählt die Geschichte des Akita-Inu Hundes “Hakicho”. Der Film ist ab dem 12.November in den deutschen Kinos zu sehen.

Die Kritik zum Film findet ihr jetzt direkt hier oder aber in der Filmkritik Rubrik auf “Film To Go”.

Shibuya เป็นย่านหนึ่งที่สำคัญมากๆใน Tokyo เลยนะครับ ที่นี่มีคนมากมายหลากหลายทั่วสาระทิศมารวมกัน ผมเคยพูดเล่นๆกับเพื่อนผมว่า “ถ้ายุธยาไม่สิ้นคนดี ชิบุย่าก็คงไม่สิ้นผู้คน” จะเดินไปยังชิบุย่ากี่โมงๆ ก็ยังมีคนให้เห็นอยู่เสมอล่ะครับ เวลาไปเดินไปที่สี่แยกชิบุย่าก็คงแปลกใจกันมากว่าคนเขาข้ามถนนกันทีข้ามกันเป็นพันเป็นหมื่นคน จนสี่แยกนั้นต้องทำไฟจราจรให้สามารถข้ามกันแบบได้ทุกฝั่งในคราวเดียวกัน จะข้ามฝั่งหรือทะแยงฝั่งก็เอาเลย แยกชิบุย่าจึงกลายเป็น Model หนึ่งที่บรรดาฝรั่งมังค่าเอานวัตกรรมการจัดการพวกนี้ไปใช้ในประเทศของเขา อย่างที่ Oxford Street นั้นก็ได้เอาไปใช้เป็นที่เรียบร้อย และผมว่าคงจะมีอีกหลายเมืองที่จะใช้ตามกันมาแน่ๆ

Shibuya นี้จะมีรูปปั้นของสุนัขตัวหนึ่งสร้างไว้หน้าสถานีรถไฟเลยล่ะครับ เจ้าสุนัขตัวนี้แหละที่เป็นตำนานอมตะที่หลายๆคนคงจะได้ยินตั้งแต่เด็กๆที่ว่า “มีสุนัขตัวหนึ่งรอเจ้านายของมันทุกๆวันโดยที่ไม่รู้หรอกว่าเจ้านายมันไม่มีวันกลับมาแล้ว” ตำนานนี้เกิดที่หน้าสถานีรถไฟ Shibuya เมื่อเจ้าสุนัขที่ชื่อว่าฮาจิโกะนั้นผูกพันกับเจ้านายของมันมากๆ เขาจะมายืนรอรับเจ้านายทุกๆวันในเวลาที่เจ้านายจะมาถึงแล้วกลับบ้านด้วยกัน เจ้านายที่ว่าเนี่ยคือศาสตราจารย์อุเอะโนะ สอนที่มหาวิทยาลัยโตเกียว ซึ่งมีอยู่วันหนึ่งท่านเกิดถึงแก่กรรมกะทันหันจึงไม่ได้กลับมาในขณะที่เจ้าสุนัขแสนน่ารักตัวนี้ก็รออยู่

ฮาจิโกะใช้เวลารอเจ้านายมาอีก 10 ปีจนตาย แต่มารอแค่ช่วงที่เจ้านายเขาจะกลับมานะครับ ไม่ได้รอเช้ายันเย็น จนมีคนนำเรื่องของฮาจิโกะไปตีพิมพ์ คนก็เลยยกย่องให้เป็นสุนัขยอดกตัญญูครับ ใครผ่านไปผ่านมาที่สถานีชิบุย่า อย่าลืมไปถ่ายรูปกับสุนัขในตำนานนี้ล่ะครับ ผมว่ายังไงฮาจิโกะก็คงเป็นตำนานของชิบุย่าตลาดการ

พูดไปแล้วก็ลองกลับมาย้อนนึกดูตัวเองครับว่า “ยังมีใครที่รอเราอยู่หรือเปล่า?” ถ้าคิดออกแล้วก็อย่าลังเลที่จะทำให้เขาไม่ต้องรอนะครับ ดีกว่าเราจะไม่มีโอกาสได้ทำเมื่อมันสายเกินไปเสียแล้ว

บางทีผมเองก็อาจจะเป็นคนรอใครซักคนอย่างมีหวังโดยที่ไม่รู้ว่าเขาไม่มีวันกลับมาแล้ว

Allen Halloween-Partys und Motto-Veranstaltungen zum trotz hatte ich vorwiegend ein klassisches Couchpotato-Wochenende. Wohl gemerkt heißt das bei mir nicht von morgens bis abends vor der Flimmerkiste liegen – sondern nur zeitweise. „Big Bang Theorie“, „Scrubs“ und „Die Simpsons“ wollte ich nämlich nicht verpassen. Halloween-Specials durften da natürlich auch nicht fehlen. Abgesehen davon bekam ich aber nichts von dem Geister- und Gruselfest mit. Am Samstagabend lief Stefan Raab beim abendfüllenden Format „Schlag den Raab“ wieder zur Hochform auf. Der Kandidat – ein belesener Professor – war zwar um Längen sympathischer als Hans-Martin vom letzten Mal, aber eine echte Chance schien er leider nicht zu haben. Nur 20 Punkte holte er im TV-Duell und musste den Traum von 500.000 € kurz vor 1 Uhr nachts aufgeben. Irgendwie tat mir das richtig leid und mit dem Gefühl ging ich kurz darauf auch zu Bett.

Am Sonntag sah ich ein zweites Mal den rührenden Film Hachiko (Filmkritik dazu folgt bald hier). Verströmte ich beim ersten Mal schon eine Menge Tränen, reichte mir diesmal schon der Ausblick auf den weiteren Filmverlauf, um mir bereits zu Beginn der Vorführung nasse Augen zu verursachen. Gegen Ende stapelten sich die verbrauchten Taschentücher (zu meiner Verteidigung: ich habe auch noch Schnupfen der das Ganze begünstigte) und ich wunderte mich schon, dass meine Tränendrüsen noch was hergaben. Auf die geschwollenen Augen am nächsten Tag freute ich mich schon außerordentlich. Arg gebeutelt und mit gesenktem Haupt (ich sehe mit verheulten Augen echt grauenhaft aus!) machte ich mich auf den Heimweg. Dank Regengüssen wurde an dem Abend noch mehr nass als nur meine Augen. Da fiel es vielleicht nicht mehr ganz so auf. So bleiben mir heute von meinem Wochenende nachhallende sentimentale Gefühle und geschwollene Augen. ;o)

This is the story of Hachiko, an Akita dog, whose bond with its owner remained strong until death (of both owner and canine).

WARNING: It’s heartbreaking AND heartwarming.

Antes de fin de año se estrenará la película “Hachiko, a dog story” (un remake de la película “Hachiko Monogatari” de 1987) que protagonizará Richard Gere y que cuenta la increíble historia de un perro fiel que día a día esperaba a que su dueño volviera del trabajo, y tras morir éste repentinamente siguió esperando durante años hasta el día de su muerte en una pequeña plaza junto al famoso cruce de Shibuya, el famoso Scramble Kousaten. Hachiko es un auténtico mito para los japoneses, que erigieron una estatua en el lugar donde Hachiko esperó hasta el fin de sus días. Cada 8 de abril se homenajea la figura de Hachiko, Hoy en día es uno de los puntos de encuentro más famosos de Tokyo, al estilo del Oso y el Madroño en Madrid…

El próximo 8 de abril  será jueves, yo cumpliré años, y tendré preparada la maleta para viajar a Japón días después…

Thursday - Asobi Seksu

Información en WIKIPEDIA

Y la historia ampliada en AEROMENTAL

Hachiko era um Akita que pertencia a um professor universitário, chamado Eizaburo Ueno, que morava em um subúrbio de Tokyo, perto da estação de Shibuya. Todas as manhãs Hachiko acompanhava seu dono no percurso de casa à estação de trem, voltando no final da tarde para acompanhá-lo na volta para a casa.

No dia 21 de maio de 1925, Hachiko, que tinha tinha apenas um ano e meio, estava na estação como de costume esperando seu dono chegar no trem das 16 horas. Porém, naquele dia o Professor Ueno não voltou, porque tinha sorfrido um derrame fatal na Universidade.

Após a morte do Professor, seus parentes e amigos passaram a cuidar do cão, mas Hachiko continuava indo todos os dias à estação de Shibuya para esperar seu dono voltar do trabalho. Muitos anos se passaram e mesmo com dificuldades para andar em decorrência de problemas de saúde, Hachiko mantinha sua rotina diária à estação. Sua vigília durou até o dia 7 de Março de 1934, quando já com 11 anos e 4 meses foi encontrado morto no mesmo lugar onde esperou pelo seu dono por tantos anos.

A memória de Hachiko foi imortalizada em uma pequena estátua de bronze colocada na estação de Shibuya, local onde ele morreu.

Durante a 2ª Guerra Mundial, todas as estátuas foram confiscadas e derretidas, incluindo a de Hachi-Ko. Em 1948 o filho do escultor da estátua original foi contratado para criar uma réplica dessa estátua, que foi colocada no mesmo lugar da anterior e atualmente, todos que passam pela estação de Shibuya em Tokyo podem ver a imponente estátua de Hachiko, eternizando uma das maiores paixões de um cão por seu dono e atestando a incrível lealdade da raça.

Fonte: Dog Times

Filme

A história original de Hachiko foi contada em um filme japonês de 1987, chamado Hachiko monogatari. A versão americana (Hachiko: a dog’s story), com Richard Gere, transpôs o drama para Rhode Island. A sua estréia no Japão se deu em 08 de agosto de 2009. Nos Estados Unidos, o filme foi exibido nos dias 13 e 14 de junho, no Festival de Cinema Seattle International Film Festival. No Brasil, o filme será distribuído pela Imagem Filmes e tem lançamento previsto para o Natal, dia 25 de dezembro de 2009. Teve sua pré-estréia no Brasil no dia 29 de setembro de 2009, sendo um dos filmes do Festival do Rio.

"Chorei como um bebê" ao ler o roteiro, disse Gere. "Não tinha certeza se era só uma reação sensível que estava tendo naquele dia, então li de novo uns dias depois e reagi da mesma forma. Esta é uma história de amor, que não tem nada a ver com gênero ou espécie."

"Eu estava falando às pessoas no jantar e não consegui passar da metada da história sem começar a chorar", revelou Gere em uma entrevista coletiva depois da exibição do filme, que compete no Festival de Roma.

A quarta edição do Festival de Roma, parte do circuito internacional de festivais de cinema, vai até 22 de outubro.

Baru tengok ni…

da…

T.T

Kalau tengok the whole movie?

><

]]> http://reeleks.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/hachiko-anjing-yang-setia/ Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:55:03 +0000 reeleks http://reeleks.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/hachiko-anjing-yang-setia/

Di Kota Shibuya, Jepang, tepatnya di alun-alun sebelah timur Stasiun Kereta Api Shibuya, terdapat patung yang sangat termasyur. Bukan patung pahlawan ataupun patung selamat datang, melainkan patung seekor anjing. Dibuat oleh Ando Takeshi pada tahun 1935 untuk mengenang kesetiaan seekor anjing kepada tuannya.

Seorang Profesor setengah tua tinggal sendirian di Kota Shibuya. Namanya Profesor Hidesamuro Ueno. Dia hanya ditemani seekor anjing kesayangannya, Hachiko. Begitu akrab hubungan anjing dan tuannya itu sehingga kemanapun pergi Hachiko selalu mengantar. Profesor itu setiap hari berangkat mengajar di universitas selalu menggunakan kereta api.. Hachiko pun setiap hari setia menemani Profesor sampai stasiun. Di stasiun Shibuya ini Hachiko dengan setia menunggui tuannya pulang tanpa beranjak pergi sebelum sang profesor kembali. Dan ketika Profesor Ueno kembali dari mengajar dengan kereta api, dia selalu mendapati Hachiko sudah menunggu dengan setia di stasiun. Begitu setiap hari yang dilakukan Hachiko tanpa pernah bosan.

Musim dingin di Jepang tahun ini begitu parah. Semua tertutup salju. Udara yang dingin menusuk sampai ke tulang sumsum membuat warga kebanyakan enggan ke luar rumah dan lebih memilih tinggal dekat perapian yang hangat.

Pagi itu, seperti biasa sang Profesor berangkat mengajar ke kampus. Dia seorang profesor yang sangat setia pada profesinya. Udara yang sangat dingin tidak membuatnya malas untuk menempuh jarak yang jauh menuju kampus tempat ia mengajar. Usia yang semakin senja dan tubuh yang semakin rapuh juga tidak membuat dia beralasan untuk tetap tinggal di rumah. Begitu juga Hachiko, tumpukan salju yang tebal dimana-mana tidak menyurutkan kesetiaan menemani tuannya berangkat kerja. Dengan jaket tebal dan payung yang terbuka, Profesor Ueno berangkat ke stasun Shibuya bersama Hachiko. Tempat mengajar Profesor Ueno sebenarnya tidak terlalu jauh dari tempat tinggalnya. Tapi memang sudah menjadi kesukaan dan kebiasaan Profesor untuk naik kereta setiap berangkat maupun pulang dari universitas.

Kereta api datang tepat waktu.. Bunyi gemuruh disertai terompet panjang seakan sedikit menghangatkan stasiun yang penuh dengan orang-orang yang sudah menunggu itu. Seorang awak kereta yang sudah hafal dengan Profesor Ueno segera berteriak akrab ketika kereta berhenti. Ya, hampir semua pegawai stasiun maupun pegawai kereta kenal dengan Profesor Ueno dan anjingnya yang setia itu, Hachiko. Karena memang sudah bertahun-tahun dia menjadi pelanggan setia kendaraan berbahan bakar batu bara itu.

Setelah mengelus dengan kasih sayang kepada anjingnya layaknya dua orang sahabat karib, Profesor naik ke gerbong yang biasa ia tumpangi. Hachiko memandangi dari tepian balkon ke arah menghilangnya profesor dalam kereta, seakan dia ingin mengucapkan saya akan menunggu tuan kembali?

Anjing manis, jangan pergi ke mana-mana ya, jangan pernah pergi sebelum tuan kamu ini pulang!â? teriak pegawai kereta setengah berkelakar.

Seakan mengerti ucapan itu, Hachiko menyambut dengan suara agak keras,guukh

Tidak berapa lama petugas balkon meniup peluit panjang, pertanda kereta segera berangkat. Hachiko pun tahu arti tiupan peluit panjang itu. Makanya dia seakan-akan bersiap melepas kepergian profesor tuannya dengan gonggongan ringan. Dan didahului semburan asap yang tebal, kereta pun berangkat. Getaran yang agak keras membuat salju-salju yang menempel di dedaunan sekitar stasiun sedikit berjatuhan.

Di kampus, Profesor Ueno selain jadwal mengajar, dia juga ada tugas menyelesaikan penelitian di laboratorium. Karena itu begitu selesai mengajar di kelas, dia segera siap-siap memasuki lab untuk penelitianya. Udara yang sangat dingin di luar menerpa Profesor yang kebetulah lewat koridor kampus.

Tiba-tiba ia merasakan sesak sekali di dadanya. Seorang staf pengajar yang lain yang melihat Profesor Ueno limbung segera memapahnya ke klinik kampus. Berawal dari hal yang sederhana itu, tiba-tiba kampus jadi heboh karena Profesor Ueno pingsan. Dokter yang memeriksanya menyatakan Profesor Ueno menderita penyakit jantung, dan siang itu kambuh. Mereka berusaha menolong dan menyadarkan kembali Profesor. Namun tampaknya usaha mereka sia-sia. Profesor Ueno meninggal dunia. Segera kerabat Profesor dihubungi. Mereka datang ke kampus dan memutuskan membawa jenazah profesor ke kampung halaman mereka, bukan kembali ke rumah Profesor di Shibuya.

Menjelang malam udara semakin dingin di stasiun Shibuya. Tapi Hachiko tetap bergeming dengan menahan udara dingin dengan perasaan gelisah. Seharusnya Profesor Ueno sudah kembali, pikirnya. Sambil mondar-mandir di sekitar balkon Hachiko mencoba mengusir kegelisahannya. Beberapa orang yang ada di stasiun merasa iba dengan kesetiaan anjing itu. Ada yang mendekat dan mencoba menghiburnya, namun tetap saja tidak bisa menghilangkan kegelisahannya.

Malam pun datang. Stasiun semakin sepi. Hachiko masih menunggu di situ. Untuk menghangatkan badannya dia meringkuk di pojokan salah satu ruang tunggu. Sambil sesekali melompat menuju balkon setiap kali ada kereta datang, mengharap tuannya ada di antara para penumpang yang datang. Tapi selalu saja ia harus kecewa, karena Profesor Ueno tidak pernah datang. Bahkan hingga esoknya, dua hari kemu dian , dan berhari-hari berikutnya dia tidak pernah datang. Namun Hachiko tetap menunggu dan menunggu di stasiun itu, mengharap tuannya kembali. Tubuhnya pun mulai menjadi kurus.

Para pegawai stasiun yang kasihan melihat Hachiko dan penasaran kenapa Profesor Ueno tidak pernah kembali mencoba mencari tahu apa yang terjadi. Akhirnya didapat kabar bahwa Profesor Ueno telah meninggal dunia, bahkan telah dimakamkan oleh kerabatnya.

Mereka pun berusaha memberi tahu Hachiko bahwa tuannya tak akan pernah kembali lagi dan membujuk agar dia tidak perlu menunggu terus. Tetapi anjing itu seakan tidak percaya, atau tidak peduli. Dia tetap menunggu dan menunggu tuannya di stasiun itu, seakan dia yakin bahwa tuannya pasti akan kembali. Semakin hari tubuhnya semakin kurus kering karena jarang makan.

Akhirnya tersebarlah berita tentang seekor anjing yang setia terus menunggu tuannya walaupun tuannya sudah meninggal. Warga pun banyak yang datang ingin melihatnya. Banyak yang terharu. Bahkan sebagian sempat menitikkan air matanya ketika melihat dengan mata kepala sendiri seekor anjing yang sedang meringkuk di dekat pintu masuk menunggu tuannya yang sebenarnya tidak pernah akan kembali. Mereka yang simpati itu ada yang memberi makanan, susu, bahkan selimut agar tidak kedinginan.

Selama 9 tahun lebih, dia muncul di station setiap harinya pada pukul 3 sore, saat dimana dia biasa menunggu kepulangan tuannya. Namun hari-hari itu adalah saat dirinya tersiksa karena tuannya tidak kunjung tiba. Dan di suatu pagi, seorang petugas kebersihan stasiun tergopoh-gopoh melapor kepada pegawai keamanan. Sejenak kemu dian suasana menjadi ramai. Pegawai itu menemukan tubuh seekor anjing yang sudah kaku meringkuk di pojokan ruang tunggu. Anjing itu sudah menjadi mayat. Hachiko sudah mati. Kesetiaannya kepada sang tuannya pun terbawa sampai mati.

Warga yang mendengar kematian Hachiko segera berduyun-duyun ke stasiun Shibuya. Mereka umumnya sudah tahu cerita tentang kesetiaan anjing itu. Mereka ingin menghormati untuk yang terakhir kalinya. Menghormati sebuah arti kesetiaan yang kadang justru langka terjadi pada manusia.

Mereka begitu terkesan dan terharu. Untuk mengenang kesetiaan anjing itu mereka kemu dian membuat sebuah patung di dekat stasiun Shibuya. Sampai sekarang taman di sekitar patung itu sering dijadikan tempat untuk membuat janji bertemu. Karena masyarakat di sana berharap ada kesetiaan seperti yang sudah dicontohkan oleh Hachiku saat mereka harus menunggu maupun janji untuk datang. Akhirnya patung Hachiku pun dijadikan symbol kesetiaan. Kesetiaan yang tulus, yang terbawa sampai mati.

Lyta Liem, another PPI Tokodai member who has just graduated from her master program invited us to come to her place. Fellow YSEP members left many things in her house for us, from frying pan to winter jacket. She invited us by emails sent when we’re still in Indonesia. The trouble was, none of us remembered what the exact time of her invitation was! And her house also.. we just remembered that her house located in Nagatsuta.

So, we decided to wake up early, had a breakfast and ask our dormitory tutor named Yu Fang
(PhD student in Chandra’s lab) and hoped she would allow us to borrow her internet to open the email once again. But none of us woke up until 9… me and Fafa wake up in 7 something (we don’t know the exact time because none of us has a clock) only to pray late Subuh and sleep again. Hehe…

After breakfast, me and Risi who had taken a bath come to Yu Fang’s room but no one inside. While Fafa and Dita took a bath, we came downstairs and found Mbak Lyta and Pak LUrah Teddy (head of PPI Tokodai) greeted us. It’s almost 11.30 and they said the plan changed. That noon, after dzuhur, we were invited to come to Kang Asep’s place (another Master who has just graduate in the same time with Mbak Lyta). We knocked Chandra’s room – whose has not wake up yet, but he’s ready in just 15 minutes. What a blast!

We left Umegaoka dormitory at 12 past something. We went to Miyamaedaira Eki from Fujigaoka Eki. Buy boxes of tissues at Inagaya supermarket for me, and others bought few things too, then to Kang Asep’s place, where we met a lot of other PPI Tokodai
members. They’re nice people and very warm (especially Mbak Lyta, she’s like a truly caring guide – or could be called as Mom I think – she’ll make sure that everything is okay and never refuse to not take us somewhere we’ve requested.

Oh the food in Kang Asep’s place is sooo Indonesian! There’s even bala-bala, or bakwan, or pia-pia, my favorite fries from Indonesia. All of the foods were made by Mbak Anti, a dentist and also Kang Heri’s wife. Her family will come back to Indonesia next week since Kang Heri’s (mbak Anti’s husband) study has finished.

After so much tongue-blasting food treats, and we’re also bloated too, we rushed from Miyamaedaira to Nagatsuta Eki at 5 PM. We visited Kang Alvian’s place first, to pray Maghrib – something that’s could not be done without Mbak Lyta and Mbak Rachma’s help – that’s why I said PPI tokodai’s members are undoubtfully veerrrryy nice.

And if you’re looking for second hand goods, there’s one that I visited in Nagatsuta. It shop called “Hard-off” or something. If you know Babe, yah it’s similar like that but all the goods here are almost in 95% condition. And it has evertything, from electronics, winter jacket, knife, cooking utensils, furniture, books, toys… it’s just like an ordinary hypermarket store, you can get almost anything you want there, as long as you want to use it. The price varies depends of the condition, though, I look for a rice cooker. It has two similar rice cooker but with different price, one for 5200 yen and other for 4800 yen. But I don’t know new rice cooker price so I decided not to buy it. We got one from former YSEP members anyway, but the condition is really poor. I can peel its Teflon layer!

After Hard off store, we go to buy groceries in OK store. It said to be the cheapest supermarket, but I don’t really know. Then we went to eat at Kura-sushi! Almost all plates and dishes for 105 yen
included tax, consist of two sushi in average or beverages or desert. I don’t care, because it’s paid by all of ppi tokodai except us, the YSEP, as a welcoming dinner, hehe. But it’s cheap J I ate all of fish, squid, and tako sushi and they’re all taste good. Risiana on the other side, can’t stand for the raw food so she just ate some of them which were cooked, but of course there are not so much of them.

Because it’s already 11 after we ate sushi and the last train to fujigaoka is 12 pm, we decided to spend the night in Lyta’s house. We inherit so many clothes, including winter jacket, cooking utensils (and the rice cooker I mentioned before), also cosmetics from former YSEP members. The next morning, we have to bear all of the goods we brought from Lyta’s house, dragging it all up the slope, to Tsukushino station until the dormitory. It was such a pain! But Asril was such a great help, he’s another member of PPI tokodai who lives next to Lyta’s house.

We arrived in the dormitory around 7.30 AM and at 9.15 we have gone again to Shibuya. Risiana got to pray at the curch in Shibuya at 11 AM. Fafa didn’t join us, though, because she suddenly feel stomacache. We were guided by Mas Bayu
to explore Shibuya until Harajuku. It’s a long walk!

But we stopped at TEPCO museum
(Japan’s electric national company is Tepco), FREE ENTRANCE! There we can see nuclear reactor miniature by 1:3 scale, mind balls (we control the balls by our mind, though its sensor just measure or relaxing brain, the most relaxed person or the further the ball away from you is the winner), and even Aibo show! But Aibo only shows in weekdays and it was Sunday so we can’t see Aibo L

When we walked across a path near NHK and Shibuya stadium, we saw a moslem mother waving at us. She walks about 10 m form her seat just to greet us and say salam, and ask whether we were Indonesian… I was speechless, and I think she’s kinda want to cry. Maybe she’s just too happy to see another moslem in Japan J

We went to Yoyogi park. Well don’t imagine a small park with only 10 trees, but it’s a huge place – sorry – HUGE park like FOREST! We were lost there also, cannot find the nearest exit to Harajuku. There are a lot of people there who were dating (normal), jogging with the dog (still normal), practicing a really cool guitar play (you can’t find it in Indonesia), and even practicing a play so seriously with loud voices, in front of the passing people(you would never find like that in Indonesia)!

After finally find the exit (though it’s not the nearest), we finally find Takeshita street. If you want to see people dressing so odd (because they’re actually doing a costume play or cosplay for short), that’s the street. It’s noon so not many of them wearing costumes like Lolita girl or school girl, Mas Bayu and Bahar (yeah, Bahar, Ipul, and Risiana met us at that place) said that there will be more in the night.

Crowded, reminds me of Dalem Kaum in Bandung, haha

We kinda confused whether a group of Men in Black suits were doing cosplay, but nothing’s more than a group of people wear gothic costume. One of the girl even wear just a latex underwear, a white bra, and all of her body was covered by web like cloth, with boots also.

We ate at Hanamari Udon, pays 534 yen for a reallllly big bowl – actually it is medium size – of udon (me and Dita can’t finish it up while there had TWO couples changed beside us eating from the same size bowl) and 30 cm – 3 feet of tako tempura.

We still have the energy to go shop at 100 yen shop, DAISO – the biggest one is in Harajuku, you also can find Daiso in Paris Van Java, Bandung where the price is all 22.000 rupiah) and get the adaptor plug there! Finally, I can charge my cell phone and laptop.

Then we went to Meiji jingu (a temple). It’s located next to yoyogi park. When we came there, there were 3 couple of brides coming to the temple. Their kimonos were beautiful!

It’s another beautiful day in Tokyo! After yesterday’s entry, I went out for a walk to take some photos around the hotel. What resulted is a beautiful 314 photo Photosynth set of the plaza outside of Shinjuku station…

It was off to have a quick lunch at the station and then off to the Harajuku area. It’s known as one of the trendier districts in Tokyo and is full of boutiques, clothing shops, and some of the most interesting fashion I’ve ever seen. Sundays are typically the day when the younger folk get dressed up and go hang out in the streets. Cosplayers are no exception here, and they typically hang out on the bridge next to the station…

…at least, that’s what I’ve been told. There was a very small showing yesterday, as I think most of them were over at TGS showing off their art. There was, however, something pretty interesting going on at the Meiji Shrine next to the station. There was apparently some sort of traditional event going on and folks were carrying around what looked like a portable shrine and chanting.

The shrine itself was pretty cool. As one of the more famous shrines in the Tokyo area, it was teeming with tourists and sightseers. Not wanting to be outdone, I quickly set to work with the camera and snapped a whole bunch of photos. On the way in, we passed a wall of sake barrels. These were all donated by local brewing companies (for good fortune, perhaps?) and set on display.

With a city as large as Tokyo, it’s also not very common to see a lot of heavily wooded areas. Our guide tells us that all of the trees in the area were planted after World War II to help restore the area to it’s natural beauty. The shrine itself is also not that old and was built around the same era.

Once close to the main gate, we all took part in the ritual hand cleansing. I think I probably should have taken a bath there. I’m sure it’s just more than my hands that are dirty…

The shrine is also a popular place for weddings. We saw two separate parties, one posing outside and then another inside. Both looked like traditional ceremonies and I one procession even came through while we were inside.

Having the procession go through also provided the unique opportunity of having the area mostly clear of people. Not to miss the opportunity, I snapped another set of pictures for use in Photosynth.

With that out of the way, it was time to move on. We left the temple and wandered out into the main streets of Harajuku. The crowds were out in full force and it was difficult making our way through the streets.

There were a lot of interesting little clothing stores (many of them featuring Goth/Loli fashion) and plenty of stands selling Crepes. We couldn’t resist the temptation and wound up with one each. I went for one with peaches, strawberry ice cream, and whipped cream. Yum yum!

We were tempted to stop at each stand for one, but I’m sure that would have made us very very sick. One was enough for us. While we were walking and browsing, a couple groups from the shrine was making their way up the street carrying their shrine and chanting. It was pretty cool to watch and my friend even got pulled in to help out (look for him around at around 0:45)!

It was a pretty cool experience for him and apparently a very rare one. He must prayed for the right thing while at the shrine earlier. Once through the side street, we hit one of the main streets in Harajuku. Most of the stores here are western based, including a newly opened Forever 21 and the H&M building. There were areas set up outside for people to line up to go inside. They’re both very popular among trendy Japanese women and get special attention.

We took the opportunity to do a little shopping in some of the gift boutiques on one of the side streets and picked up some nice little souvenirs. Not going to post a picture of what I bought so I don’t ruin any gift surprises! As it was getting late, we decided to move on to our final objective for the day: Shibuya.

Similar to Harajuku, Shibuya is mainly a shopping district popular among the younger crowd. There are a lot of large department stores and western style shops there, as well as one of the most famous intersections in all of Tokyo. Right outside the Hachiko exit of Shibuya station, this 5-way intersection is featured in many films, photographs, and documentaries. It’s often used as an example to show how modern and busy Japan is. Of course, I had to go across it and film the whole experience!

Also in that area of Shibuya was the famous statue of Hachiko. It was modeled after the famous dog from 1920’s Japan who would faithfully wait for his master to return from work even after he passed away. For the full story around Hachiko, check out the wikipedia entry.

A walk through Shibuya pretty much ended our day. We somehow managed to walk from Shibuya to Harajuku (took about half an hour) and took the train back into Shinjuku. Dinner was our last stop, along with a little shopping. We found a nice little drinking parlor with traditional seating and a la carte food service. I’d seen places like this in anime before, but it was nice to actually go to one.

The food was delicious and atmosphere was great. The only dangerous thing about the restaurant was that the food was all ordered via a touch screen. What made it even worse was that I figured out how the thing worked (it was all in Japanese with pictures) and ended up ordering a bunch of drinks and food.

Look for more tomorrow!

At first glance, it’s just an average bronze dog statue,  but there’s something about Hachiko that makes it one of the most famous meeting spots in Japan. I sometimes see more than a hundred people milling around, making it really frustrating to find someone. And yet, I always find myself back there. It’s an unspoken rule of thumb: people with plans in Shibuya almost always meet up at the dignified Hachiko statue. The reason behind the choice of waiting spot speaks volumes about the Japanese people’s love of culture and history.

An Akita dog born in 1923, Hachiko is a well-loved figure in Japanese history and a national symbol of loyalty. The tale is, Hachiko would go to the Shibuya station to greet his master, college professor Hidesamuro Ueno, as he returned home from work. One day Ueno suffered a stroke and did not return, but Hachiko continued to make his daily trips to the station for ten years without fail until his death. When the statue of Hachiko was erected, it became a popular waiting spot among locals, keeping the spirit of Hachiko alive.

Emily

September 23rd…Happy birthday to Jason Alexander!

This dog lover stars in recently debuted movie Hachi. (image via Wikimedia Commons)

More info about the film here and more info about the REAL Hachikō here.

From Seattle International Film Festival:

“This heartwarming tale that is already the stuff of legend in Japan is finally making its way to America by way of prominent director Lasse Hallström.

… the experience of Hachi’s unending loyalty is certain to stay with you. Hachi’s story is one of love, unwavering devotion, and the resounding impact one dog’s affection can make.”

La historia d’aquest gos es molt singular i es bastant famós al convertir-se la seva estàtua en punt de trobada al barri de Shibuya de Tokyo.

Aquí us deixo la història de Hachiko treta de la Wikipedia i algunes fotos:

Hachikō,era un gos de raça Akita nascut en novembre de 1923 en la ciutat de Odate (Prefectura de Akita, Japó).

En 1924 va ser traslladat a Tòquio pel seu amo, Eisaburō Ueno, un professor del departament d’agricultura de la Universitat de Tòquio. El gos el saludava cada dia des de la porta principal i l’acomiadava al final del dia en la propera estació de Shibuya. Fins i tot després de la mort de Ueno en maig de 1925, Hachikō va tornar cada dia a l’estació a esperar-lo, i ho va fer durant els deu anys fins a la seva pròpia mort.

La devoció que Hachikō sentia cap al seu amo mort va commoure als qui l’envoltaven, que el van anomenar el gos fidel. En abril de 1934, una estàtua de bronze es va erigir en el seu honor en l’estació de Shibuya, i el propi Hachikō va estar present el dia que es va presentar l’estàtua. L’estàtua va ser reutilitzada a causa de la Segona Guerra Mundial, però es va erigir una altra estàtua en agost de 1947, que encara hi és.

Esta situada un lloc de trobada extremadament popular, tant que en ocasions l’aglomeració de gent en dificulta la trobada. També hi ha una estàtua similar en Odate, davant de la estació d’Odate, i també es troba altra estàtua del gos i el seu amo en el parc de Ueno.

Hachikō va morir de filariasis al març de 1935. Les seves restes es troben en el Museu de Ciències Naturals de Ueno (Tòquio).

Hachiko was the loyal Akita dog of Hidesamuro Ueno, a professor at Tokyo University.  Every day, Hachiko would wait for him to return from work at the nearby Shibuya train station.  Even after his death due to a stroke in 1925, Hachiko continued to wait for his master everyday for the next 10 years.

(Picture taken from Wikipedia)

In April 1934, a bronze statue in his likeness was erected at Shibuya Station and apparently Hachiko himself was present at its unveiling.  The statue was recycled for the war effort during World War II so a new statue was erected in August 1948, which still stands and is an extremely popular meeting spot today.  The station entrance near this statue is named “Hachikō-guchi”, meaning “The Hachikō Exit”, and is one of Shibuya Station’s five exits.

Hachi: A Dog’s Story, released in August 2009, is an American movie starring actor Richard Gere, directed by Lasse Hallström, about Hachiko and his relationship with the professor.  The movie was filmed in Rhode Island.

CBS Evening News also recently featured Hachiko, this new movie and the Akita dog breed.