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

The monument to the dog Hatiko was installed in Tokyo on April 21, 1934. He is considered a symbol of loyalty and loyalty. The dog, in memory of which the monument was erected, was born on November 10, 1923 in Akita Prefecture, which is in Japan. By the way, the breed of this puppy is also called akita. The farmer presented the puppy to Professor Hidesaburo Ueno, who worked at the University of Tokyo. When Khatiko grew up, he always accompanied his beloved master. The professor went to work every day, and the faithful dog accompanied him to the entrance to Shibuya Station, and then met him at three o'clock in the afternoon.

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

The fate of the faithful dog Hachiko

Local traders and railway workers were admired by Hachiko, a monument to which all the Japanese now revere. They fed him. Japan learned about this dog in 1932, after an article published in one of Tokyo's popular newspapers "A betrayed dog awaits the return of his deceased owner seven years ago".

Residents of Japan were captivated by this story, and people interested in the Shibuya station often came to see Khatiko, whose monument was erected on April 21, 1934. A faithful friend came to the station for nine years, until his death. The dog died on March 8, 1935 from the heart's filarias. He was found on the street, near the station. All about the death of the dog spread all over the country, and mourning was declared. Bones of Hachiko were buried near the grave of the professor at the Aoyama cemetery in Tokyo. And from his skin was made a scarecrow, which to this day is stored in the National Museum of Science.

During the Second World War, the monument was destroyed, letting the metal for military needs. But after the war was restored. This happened in August 1948. Restoration of the monument involved the son of a sculptor who created the first pedestal (at that time the sculptor himself had already died). A special committee was formed to collect voluntary donations. Takeshi (sculptor's son) was easy to recreate the sculpture. According to him, he remembers his father's work and could sculpt a monument, closing his eyes. But whether the collected funds were not enough, or whether such were the requirements of the order, but the new pedestal was slightly smaller in size.

The symbol of loyalty near the station Shibuya

The monument of Hatiko in Tokyo today is a popular place where lovers meet. And the very image of this dog in Japan is considered a symbol of selfless love and fidelity. In 1987, the film "Hachiko's History" was shot, and in 2009 - a remake of it entitled "Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend"

Surely in every city there is such a traditional place for meetings. The Hachiko dog (a monument in Japan) is just such a place. If you ask the Japanese where the appointment is most common, the answer will be unanimous - in Hachiko.

Area near Shibuya Station in Tokyo

Shibuya is a large transport junction, at this point the lines of commuter trains, buses and the city subway converge. There are constant streams of people, a huge number of boutiques, restaurants and department stores. The square near the station is considered the most popular center for night entertainment. Among all this whirlwind invariably attracts attention a low pedestal with a bronze image of a dog. On the pedestal the words "Faithful dog Hatiko" are written.

Hachiko - a monument to the faithful dog

The subject of a devoted dog was actively used by entrepreneurs. A small shop was opened in the Tokuu department store, built near the station, where you could buy souvenirs "from Khatiko". They were soft toy dogs or towels with an impression of a dog's paw. The store is popular, as it is visited by all Japanese schoolchildren who come for a vacation in the capital. The monument to the dog Hatiko in Shibuya is not the only one in Japan. There are two more sculptures at Odate station in Akita prefecture, where this dog comes from. One of them is completely identical to the one at the station square in Shibuya, and the second depicts puppies of the Akita breed and is called "Young Hatiko and his friends".

Example of devotion and fidelity

Where the Hachiko monument stands, all the Japanese know. The topic is very popular in the country and almost inexhaustible. In Japan, several books describing the life of the dog were published. One of them was created in the form of a comic strip. In 2004, two books about Hachiko were released in the United States.

Of course, the loyalty of a faithful dog deserves respect, but why did Hatiko become more than just one example of the attachment of dogs to humans, but practically the hero of the entire Japanese nation? There is an opinion that the whole thing is in time when the described events occurred. Japan was on the verge of a big war, and the authorities tried to show their subjects an example of commitment and dedication.

Loyalty to the owner has long been revered by the Japanese as the highest of noble traits. Probably, therefore, Khatiko - a monument - and the story of a devoted dog in its popularity is inferior only to tragic stories about samurai, who gladly gave their lives for the opportunity to take revenge on the offender of their master. In the press at that time, they expressed the opinion that the story about Hachiko was included in the school reader in order to warm the loyalty of the residents of Japan to their emperor and the government on the eve of the expected hostilities. Thus, they sought to regain the lost values of the morality of the nation, which were slightly blurred at that time under the influence of Western countries.

Whatever it was in reality, but since then the image of the faithful dog Hachiko has become for the Japanese an example of selfless love and fidelity. Therefore, it should not be surprising that many lovers of Tokyo choose the monument of Khatiko for their meetings and visits.