Hachi Spirit Blog

After Hachi passed away, his fur coat was not disposed of. Instead, Sakamoto Kiichi, the best taxidermist in Japan at that time, was entrusted with making Hachi’s mount. Inspired by Hachi’s loyalty, just as sculptor Andō Teru had been, Sakamoto was determined to create the finest mount for Hachi among all his works. His assistant, […]

Unusual Circumstances On March 8, 1935, the day Hachi died, a team of veterinarians from the College of Agriculture at the Imperial University of Tokyo conducted his necropsy. Back then, performing a necropsy on a dog was quite unusual, but Hachi was no ordinary dog. Controversial Claims There was a controversy surrounding the cause of […]

Remembering Hachi On March 12, 1935, a formal funeral service was conducted on the grounds of Dr. Ueno’s grave at Aoyama Cemetery in Minato-ward, Tokyo. It was a heartfelt tribute to Hachi, a soul who had captured the hearts of many. Unprecedented Display of Reverence In a touching display of reverence, sixteen Buddhist monks from […]

On March 9, the day after Hachi died, an elaborate memorial service for the loyal Akita was conducted in front of Shibuya Station.  Hachi Receives a Traditional Ceremony The area was filled with bouquets of colorful flowers, huge floral wreaths, and other offerings. Dr. Ueno’s widow Yae and the gardener Kobayashi Kikusaburō carefully combed Hachi’s […]

On the morning of March 8, 1935, the loyal Akita’s body was discovered in an alley on the east side of Shibuya Station, near Inari Bridge. On the day Hachi died, his necropsy was conducted by a team of veterinarians at the College of Agriculture of the Imperial University of Tokyo. It was quite unusual to conduct […]

The October 4, 1932 newspaper story about Hachi touched people’s hearts and Hachi was referred to as the Loyal Dog Hachi-kō. Along with his popularity, a Hachi-kō bronze statue was created in April 1934, while Hachi was alive. This was not in line with tradition because a statue was unusually made after a person (or a dog […]