A short cartoon clip about the life of the famous Japanese dog Hachiko, who returned to Shibuya Station in Tokyo for nine years after the death of his master.

In this cartoon Hachiko has one drop down ear just like Hachiko had in real life.

Hachiko in the Japanese cartoon

The real Hachiko

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From the 1987 film “Hachiko Monogatari” (aka Hachi-ko). Wonderful movie that tells the true story of an Akita’s devotion to his master.
You’ve got to see this! So beautiful, and yet… so sad.
Chu-ken Hachiko (lit. the faithful dog Hachiko) was born in Akita in 1923 and was first brought to Tokyo in 1924. He and his [...]

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The Akita is named for his place of origin, the Odate region in Akita Prefecture (Americans: think ’state’), on the Island of Honshu in northern Japan.

So the Akita is not a polar dog, though his coat resembles that of traditional polar dogs such as Huskies and the Alaskan Malamute. There is of course a reason [...]

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The Akita was designated as a Natural Monument in July of 1931 by satisfying the criteria of “a domesticated animal unique to Japan”. Soon other Japanese dog breeds followed.

These other Japanese breeds are:

Akita
Hokkaido
Kai
Kishu
Shikoku
Shiba Inu

Until that time, Akitas were known only to the local population around Odate in the Thoku District, and by a handful of [...]

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Newman adds characters and incidents to flesh out this true story of an Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and hope by waiting–for 10 years–at a Japanese commuter train station for his dead master to return. Hachi accompanies Professor Ueno to Shibuya Station every morning, then returns at three o’clock to welcome him [...]

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In Japan the Akita is regarded as a token for good luck.

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In the old days Akitas were used for hunting in Japan, but not in such a way that they would actually kill a bear. Some people tell this story but an Akita (or two of them) are not big and strong enough to bring down an angry bear.

Instead, the use of Akitas in bear hunting [...]

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The history of the Japanese Akita dog shows many ups and downs.

The Akita’s ancestors were dogs used by matagi for hunting. These dogs, usually called matagi inu, were not as large as modern Akita dogs. Many of these dogs were used as guard dogs. Many were used to guard the emperor and his children. [...]

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Hachikō (ハチ公, Hachikō November 10, 1923 – March 8, 1935), known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō (忠犬 ハチ公, chūken Hachikō lit. ‘faithful dog Hachikō’), was an Akita dog born in the city of Odate, Akita Prefecture remembered for his loyalty to his master.

In 1924, Hachikō was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesamurō Ueno (上野英三郎), [...]

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