Eizaburo Ueno from a former student who knew how much the professor admired the
dogs from the Odate area. The Professor taught at the University in Tokyo and lived within walking distance of the Shibuya train station. Every morning, he took his dog with him when he caught the train to his work. In the afternoon, Hachi-Ko was waiting for the professor when he returned.
Before Hachi-Ko was two, the Professor suffered a fatal stroke at the University and never returned. Relatives of the professor took the dog, but he persisted in returning to his original home and going from there to the train station where he continued to wait for the professor. Kikuzaboro Kobayashi, who had worked for the professor as his gardener, and the manager of the train station, Chuichi Yoshikawa, loved the dog and watched over him. For the remainder of his life until his death on March 8, 1935, Hachi-Ko continued to meet the trains. (Bouyet, 8)
A few years before his death, newspapers featured his story. In a country where loyalty and devotion to duty are revered, Hachi-Ko’s tale captured the attention and sympathy of the nation. A sculptor was commissioned, and a statue of Hachi-Ko was placed in the Shibuya Station.
When he died, the government declared an official day of mourning. His statue was buried under flowers.
During the war, the famous statue was melted down for use in ammunition plants, but after the war, the son of the original sculptor recreated his fathers work, and Hachi-Ko again sits vigil in the Shibuya Station. It is a traditional meeting place for lovers.