Hachiko Statue, Tokyo
I could have easily included this story in my previous Shibuya post,
but I decided to give it a post of its own.
Because honestly, I think this story is too interesting to squeeze into another post. Haha
Hachiko is actually one of the reasons I developed such a deep connection with Japan.
Everything started with Hachiko :)
I’ve talked about Hachiko on Instagram before, but I left out quite a few parts of the story.
And honestly, the story of how Hachiko brought me to Japan is too ridiculous not to tell properly. So this time, I’m giving him his own post. š
Before I tell you the story, let me first tell you where you can actually find Hachiko.
Hachiko’s statue is located right in front of Shibuya Station,
just beside the famous Shibuya Crossing. So if you’re already at Shibuya Crossing, you really don’t have to go far to find him.
Once you’re out, you’ll find yourself around the Hachiko Square area, where the statue is located.
let me tell you why this little bronze statue means so much to me. :)
Because believe it or not, the story of Hachiko is actually where my love for Japan began.
And trust me, the story of how that happened is too ridiculous.
It All Started With a Movie š
Yess.
Back then, I used to argue with my eldest brother quite a lot.
One thing about me is that I’ve never been the type of person who cries easily over movies.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Whenever we watched some random sad movie together and my brother saw me sitting there completely unfazed, he would look at me and ask,
“Do you really have no feelings? You’re not sad at all?”
And I would proudly answer,
“Brooo, I will never cry because of a movie. That’s such a loser thing to do.”
Very mature of me, obviously.
So one day, he randomly suggested that I watch
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, starring Richard Gere.
“Watch this movie. I’m definitely sure you will cry.”
Nahh.. now that I think about it, I don’t know what was wrong with this guy.
Why was he so determined to make me cry?
Did he have a personal mission to destroy my emotional stability or something?
Anyway, being the stubborn person that I am, I watched it.
I still remember watching the movie alone at midnight.
At first, I honestly thought it was just an ordinary movie.
It felt a little slow, and I wasn’t particularly impressed.
Then the story started to unfold.
And, well..
My brother was right.
Unfortunately.
The movie was so damn heartbreaking.
Maybe it’s because I’m an animal lover and stories involving animals tend to hit me differently.
Yes I cried.
A lot.
The kind of crying where you finish the movie and just sit there quietly for a while because you’re still trying to process what you just watched.
So naturally, after finishing the movie, I did what any emotionally unstable person with internet access would do.
I started Googling Hachiko.
The Real Hachiko
I wanted to know how much of the movie was actually true.
And that’s when I discovered that Hachiko wasn’t just a character created for a movie.
He was real.
According to the information I found while reading about Hachiko,
his real story was even more heartbreaking than the movie.
For those who don’t know, Hachiko was an Akita dog who belonged to a professor named HidesaburÅ Ueno in Tokyo during the 1920s..
Every single day, Hachiko would walk with his owner to Shibuya Station and wait there in the afternoon for him to return from work.
One day in 1925, Professor Ueno suddenly passed away while at the university and never came back. But Hachiko didn’t know that..
So he kept returning to the same spot at Shibuya Station.
Every single day.. for almost 10years.
He waiting.
Rain, snow, crowds, seasons changing, people coming and going.. none of it mattered to him. Hachiko simply waited for someone he loved, believing that one day his owner would step off the train again.š„²
Eventually, the people of Tokyo noticed this quiet ritual of loyalty.
His story spread across the city, and Hachiko became a symbol of unwavering devotion in Japan. And today his bronze statue stands outside Shibuya Station.
Not just as a landmark, but as a reminder of how powerful loyalty and love can be :)
After reading everything about Hachiko, I remember feeling genuinely touched by his story.
I don’t know what happened to my brain after that.
But about a week later, I randomly booked a flight to Japan.
Yes.
Japan.
Just to see Hachiko.
There was no grand travel plan.
No complicated itinerary.
No dramatic life changing reason.
I watched a movie about a dog, became emotionally attached to his story, Googled him for hours, and then apparently decided the most reasonable thing to do was to book a flight.
That’s it.
That’s the story.
I didn’t even tell my family that I was going to Japan.
I just went.
Then, after I finally arrived in Shibuya and stood in front of the Hachiko statue,
I took a selfie with hachiko in the background and sent the photo to my brother.
with caption,
“I’m with Hachiko now.”
His response was immediate.
" Wtf are you doing there?!"
Hahahahahahaha
Honestly, fair question.
And That’s Where Japan Became Special.
Looking back, I think Hachiko was more than just a reason to visit Japan.
He was the beginning of something.
That one movie made me curious about his story.
His story made me curious about Japan.
And somewhere along the way, Japan became a place I grew deeply attached to.
What started with one sad movie about a dog eventually turned into years of memories in Japan.
And that’s probably why Hachiko still feels a little different to me whenever I see him in Shibuya.
He’s not just another famous statue.
He reminds me of how unexpectedly certain places can enter your life.
Looking back, it still amazes me how one movie could lead me all the way here.
Life works in mysterious ways right? š
Now Japan has become one of those places I keep coming back to.
Sometimes for a reason.
Sometimes for no reason at all.
And every time I return to Shibuya, I still find myself looking for Hachiko.
Because in a strange way, he reminds me of where my love for Japan began.
And for that, I think I’ll always have a soft spot for Hachiko :)
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