Stories That Matter
Hachikō: Loyalty, Dignity and Respect
This is not simply the story of a dog waiting at a railway station. It is a story of loyalty, patience, acceptance, steadfastness and memory. It is also a story about people who learned to recognize and respect a remarkable life.
- Loyalty
- Patience
- Acceptance
- Steadfastness
- Memory
- Respect
After Professor Hidesaburō Ueno died in 1925, Hachikō continued returning to Shibuya Station, where he had once met him after work.
He kept returning for years. His constancy became a symbol of loyalty, but the story is also about something else: the ability of people to recognize meaning in the life of another species.
Hachikō could not explain his attachment in human language. People had to observe, understand and accept it on its own terms.
Eventually they did. He became known and cared for around the station, and in 1934 a bronze statue honoring him was unveiled while he was still alive.
That combination is what makes the story exceptional: extraordinary loyalty from one living being, and respect from others who learned to see it.
Respect does not begin when another living being can speak our language. It begins when we are willing to understand theirs.
A remarkable animal. A great soul. A lasting example of loyalty, dignity and respect across species.