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The Hachiko Statue is one of the most famous landmarks of the city of Tokyo. Located right in front of the Shibuya Station, it serves as a popular meeting place in the city. Hachiko is a bonze statue of an Akita-ken breed dog, located in front of the Shibuyu Station. The statue faces the station and shows the dog in a sitting posture. The place where the statue is located is also referred to as the Hachiko exit. It is decorated with beautiful colored neon lights.
Hachiko was a dog born in the year 1923 in the month of November in the city of Odate in the Akito prefecture. In the year 1924, his master Eisaburo Ueno, an university professor, brought him to Tokyo. The professor named the dog Hachiko lovingly. The dog followed his master everyday wherever he went. As the dog grew, the dog acquired all the traits of an Akito dog. Its ears grew upright and its tail was curled to the left. The dog was extremely faithful to his master and loved him a lot. The dog used to wait for his master everyday near the railway station. When the professor died, his wife gave the dog away to some of her husbands relatives. However, the dog came back and waited at the station for his master's return. The dog visited the station everyday for nearly 11 years, till he died. The Hachiko Statue is a symbol of love and devotion. It has become a popular meeting point in the city of Tokyo.The faithfulness of the dog and his love and loyalty for his master became a matter of national importance.The statue is also considred as a symbol of commitment of the people n the lovers meeting in fromnt of the Shibuyu Station. The statue of the dog was erected in the year 1934 in the month of April in his presence. The statue of the dog was however destroyed during the second world war. The Soceity for Recreatiing the Hachiko, thereafter asked the Ando Takeshi to create a new statue of the dog. The artist built the new statue whuich was put over here in the year 1948. An identical statue of the dog is also found in front of the Odate Station, the original hometown of the dog. When the dog died in the year 1935, his body was stuffed and kept in the national Sciience Museum in Ueno, where its still stands today. In the year 2004, a new statue of hachiko was built on the original stone pedestal and kept in front of the Akita Dog Museum in Odate. The Hachiko Statue is a major landmark of the city and you can be sure that your eyes will not miss it.
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