Hachi Spirit Blog

Hachi was born in the farmhouse barn of Saitō Giichi (1873–1928), the head of the Saitō clan in Ōdate, Akita prefecture, in the northeastern region of Japan. The actual residence address of Saitō was Ōshinai, Niida-mura, Kita-Akita-gun, Akita prefecture. Its current address is 61 Mitsunashi, Ōshinai, Ōdate, Akita prefecture. Saitō was the owner of Hachi’s […]

In “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” the devoted Akita and his beloved professor are bonded for eternity. In true life, they only had a year and a half together. In one instant, life as they knew it dissolved. Every moment spent with our furry friends is precious. The time with our dogs is just part of […]

There is much speculation as to Hachi’s actual day of birth. There is no record of an authentic birth certificate for Hachi, so his precise birthday is unknown. However, the best clue to determine his actual birthdate is the day he left his birthplace at Ōdate to meet his new owner, Professor Ueno. It has been established […]

A Japanese Akita puppy was born in Ōdate, in mid-November 1923. This northern Japan setting is located in the snowy northern Akita Prefecture, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The puppy would be named Hachi. He would soon become the most famous dog in Japan. Hachi would grow up to live an extraordinary life, and leave an […]

My Journey to Discover the Real Hachi Through my film Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, I’ve had the unique pleasure of being just one “voice” of Hachi through the years. Yet, I’m not a historian on the loyal Akita. Far from it. I’m simply a huge dog fan. In my quest to learn the unvarnished truth, I […]

No matter how you’re spending your holidays this year, one thing’s for sure: LOVE is everywhere — and it’s growing! Yes, 2020 has been a difficult year to say the least. But, in the midst of all of its trials, many of us have had the realization that NOW is the time to really start […]