The English translation is below
４月８日は、「忠犬ハチ公の日」です。1934年のこの日に
ハチの銅像が建てられました
これはおよそ100年前に、実際にあったストーリーです
ハチは、東京の渋谷駅まで、飼い主の帰りを出迎えに行き
飼い主の死去後も約10年にわたって通い続けて飼い主の
帰りを待っていました
ハチは1923年生まれの秋田犬（オス）
犬好きの東京帝国大学の上野教授が、秋田犬を飼いたい
とのことで、当時30円という価格で！翌年、上野宅に
やってくることになりました
朝の散歩と通勤をかねて、毎朝一緒に渋谷駅に通っていたので
ハチは上野教授の帰りを渋谷駅で待つようになり
毎日欠かさず出迎えるのが日課となりました
しかし1925年、ハチと過ごしてまだ1年半もたっていないのに…
上野教授は急死してしまいます
それから毎日ハチは、渋谷駅で上野教授の帰りを待ち続けました
。。。約10年間ですよ。。。
上野教授の死後、妻の親戚の呉服屋へ預けられたものの
人懐こさがアダとなり、お客が来るとすぐ飛びついてしまうため
商売にならず(笑）別の家に移されるも、散歩中に渋谷へ
向かって逃走を繰り返す！再び上野宅に戻るも、
畑を荒らしてしまうため、最終的にハチを小さい頃から
可愛がっていた植木職人宅へ引き取られることとなりました
上野教授が亡くなってから、２年余りがたった頃ですが
この頃から渋谷駅で、上野教授が帰宅していた時間に
ハチが頻繁に目撃されるようになりました
植木職人さんはハチのことをとても愛情を持って育てて
いましたが、ハチは渋谷駅を訪れては、道ゆく人々を見て
食事のために今の飼い主宅に戻っては、また渋谷駅に向かう
ということを繰り返していたそうです
ハチが渋谷駅を訪れる際には、途中の上野宅に必ず立ち寄って
窓から中を覗いていたそうで。。。
このことを知った、日本犬保存会の会長さんが、ハチのことを
新聞に寄稿しました。それによってハチは広く知られるようになり
「ハチ公」と呼ばれ可愛がられるようになりました
ハチに食べ物を持ってくる人も多く現れるようになって
その人気から、渋谷駅はハチが駅で寝泊まりOKの
VIP待遇するようになりました♪
上野教授が死去してから10年近く経った1935年
３月８日、ハチは満11歳で亡くなりました
１２日には渋谷駅で人間さながらの葬儀が
執り行われたそうです
ハチは今、上野教授と同じお墓で眠っています
April 8 is Hachiko the Loyal Dog Day.
On this day in 1934, a bronze statue of Hachiko was erected.
This is based on a true story that happened roughly 100 years ago.
Hachiko would go to Shibuya Station in Tokyo to greet his owner upon his return.
Even after his owner passed away, he continued to go there for about 10 years,
waiting faithfully for his owner to come home.
Hachiko was a male Akita dog, born in 1923.
Professor Ueno of Tokyo Imperial University, who loved dogs, wanted to own an Akita.
At the time, the price was just 30 yen!
The following year, Hachiko came to live at Professor Ueno’s home.
During their morning walks, which also doubled as commuting time,
Hachiko accompanied Professor Ueno to Shibuya Station every day.
Over time, Hachiko began waiting at the station for his owner’s return,
and greeting him daily became his routine.
But in 1925, less than a year and a half after Hachiko had started living with him…
Professor Ueno suddenly passed away.
From that day on, Hachiko continued to wait at Shibuya Station for his owner’s return —
for about 10 years…
After Professor Ueno’s death, Hachiko was initially entrusted to a relative of Ueno’s wife, who ran a kimono shop.
But his friendliness worked against him — he would immediately jump on any customer who came in,
making it impossible for the shop to operate (lol).
He was then moved to another household,
but during walks he repeatedly escaped, heading straight for Shibuya!
Even after returning to the Ueno home,
he caused trouble in the garden, so eventually Hachiko was taken in by a gardener who had cared for him since he was a puppy.
About two years after Professor Ueno passed away,
Hachiko began to be frequently seen at Shibuya Station
around the time his owner used to return home.
The gardener who took care of Hachiko loved him dearly,
but Hachiko would still visit Shibuya Station,
watching people passing by, then return to his current owner’s home for meals,
only to head back to the station again.
Whenever Hachiko went to Shibuya Station,
he would always stop by the Ueno residence along the way,
peeking through the windows to see inside…
When the president of the Japanese Dog Preservation Society learned about this,
he wrote an article about Hachiko in the newspaper.
Thanks to this, Hachiko became widely known and was affectionately called “Hachiko.”
Many people began bringing food for Hachiko,
and due to his growing popularity, Shibuya Station even allowed him to sleep there —
essentially giving him VIP treatment!
In 1935, nearly 10 years after Professor Ueno’s death,
Hachiko passed away on March 8 at the age of 11.
On March 12, a funeral was held at Shibuya Station,
attended as if he were a human being.
Today, Hachiko rests in the same grave as Professor Ueno.
