Saturday, January 1, 2011

Hachiko - A Love Story about an Akita Dog

Hachi: A Dog's Tale
It's Saturday!  Today we're not sharing a dog song, but rather a clip from a movie, the American version of the story of Hachiko. 

Hachi:  A Dog's Tale is an American adaptation of a Japanese tale about a loyal dog named Hachiko. The drama is based on the true story of a college professor's bond with the abandoned dog he takes into his home.  Directed by Lasse Hallstrom and starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen.

Professor Parker Wilson finds an abandoned dog at the train station and takes it home with the intention of returning the animal to its owner. The dog is an Akita and he names it Hachiko (Hachi). Nobody claims the dog so his family decides to keep Hachi. 

Hachi accompanied his master to the train station every day and return each afternoon to greet him after work. His master (Richard Gere) leaves on the train one day, passes away and never returns to the station. Hachiko faithfully returns to the same spot at the station the very next day, and every day for the next nine years to wait for his beloved master. During his daily visits, Hachiko touches the lives of many who work near and commute through the town square. He teaches the local people love, compassion and above all unyielding loyalty. Today, a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside the Shibuya station in Japan as a permanent reminder of his devotion and love.

Grab a dog and some tissues.  Sit.  Stay.  And marvel at the connection we share with our dogs.



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