Hachi & Friends

Anastasia Ormeron

Description

We can all learn from the innate dignity of our animal friends, and the Way of Hachi. I love sharing the story of the loyal dog of Japan, and hope he inspires people to 'be Hachi!'Vicki Shigekuni-Wong,producer of "Hachi: a Dog's Tale." If you happen to be passing through Shibuya Railway Station, in the chaotic heart of Tokyo, you are certain to come across a small bronze statue of a dog. This is Hachi-k Japan's most famous, faithful, and beloved Akita Inu, who waited almost ten years for his master, at that very spot, until his death. The simple story that follows is dedicated to Hachi, on his eightieth Memorial Anniversary.

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 15 février 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781506900995
• Langue: English

Extrait

HACHI & FRIENDS

By Anastasia Omeron

Illustrations by Chiara Intropido
Hachi & Friends
Copyright ©2015 Anastasia Omeron

ISBN 978-1506-900-99-5 EBOOK

December 2015

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means ─ electronic, mechanical, photo-copy, recording, or any other ─ except brief quotation in reviews, without the prior permission of the author or publisher.
The storyline itself has no connection with these people in any way, but the background, characteristics, and places described, are all based on fact.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD
AUTHOR’S NOTE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
HACHI & FRIENDS

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FOREWORD

We can all learn from the innate dignity of our animal friends, and the Way of Hachi.
I love sharing the story of the loyal dog of Japan, and hope he inspires people to ‘be Hachi!’
Vicki Shigekuni-Wong, producer of
“Hachi: a Dog’s Tale.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE

The following people, and dog, all existed in the Shibuya of the 1920s, and each played a fundamental part in Hachi-kò’s fascinating life.

Master Hidesaburò Ueno
Mrs. Yae Ueno
Tsuruko Ueno
Kikusaburò and Tomokichi Kobayashi
Mrs. Tome Kobayashi
Kichiji Watanabe
‘Amaguri-Tarò’
Stationmaster Yoshikawa
Itò Family
Saitò Family (Odate)
Seiji Takizawa
Mrs. Haruno Takizawa
Kichizo Hosoi
Kurita Reizò
Dr. Nakayama Hiroyuki
Debbie

The storyline itself has no connection with these people in any way, but the background, characteristics, and places described, are all based on fact
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank the following people for their support: Vicki Shikeguni-Wong, Noboru Inoue, Chieko Tagawa (Mie Prefecture), Neelam Ramaiah (Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo), and Sergio Pardal.

May I also express my appreciation to Mayumi Itoh for all her precious information concerning “The Truth of the Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan”.

Lastly, my immense gratitude goes to Kazuto Ueno (Master Ueno’s grandson), for his kindness and patience in the description of essential facts about Hachi’s life and surroundings.
INTRODUCTION

If you happen to be passing through Shibuya Railway Station, in the chaotic heart of Tokyo, you are certain to come across a small bronze statue of a dog.

This is Hachi-kò, Japan’s most famous, faithful, and beloved Akita Inu, who waited almost ten years for his master, at that very spot, until his death.

The simple story that follows is dedicated to Hachi, on his eightieth Memorial Anniversary.


Hachi-kò 1924-1935
HACHI & FRIENDS

“Operation Kimiko”
Chapter One



Hachi awoke to the incessant hammering of the rain against the metal roof of his kennel, at the bottom of Mr. Kobayashi’s garden.
“Oh no, not another gloomy day!” he groaned, covering his head with one enormous paw. He had always hated ‘Tsuyu’, the humid, rainy season which lasted from the beginning of June until the middle of July in Japan. It reminded him of the time Master Ueno had gone to Korea on business, and Hachi had spent a whole month watching the rain falling, waiting impatiently for the professor’s return.
It was not that Mrs. Yae, Master Ueno’s wife, had been unkind to him during her husband’s absence, simply that no one could quite fill the empty place in his heart that the professor had left.
Hachi’s one upright ear twitched imperceptibly, the other had begun to droop in recent years, giving him a lopsided, quizzical look.
He rolled over slowly, still drowsy, reluctant to leave the world of dreams, and memories of the past.
His first blurred puppyhood recollections were those of his mother’s warm Akita fur, with its soft underlayer, and the crackling open fire in the kitchen of the Saitò farmhouse, way out in the snowy northern countryside near Odate.
But soon the world he knew turned upside down, and he found himself rattling about inside a 'yoko-dawara' converted rice crate, in the arms of Reizò Kurito, one of Professor Ueno’s best students. The young man, who was responsible for the purchase of the dog, had diligently walked twelve miles in blizzard conditions to collect him from the Saitò residence, and carry him to the railway station, where his express train for Tokyo was waiting.
The journey that ensued had been quite terrifying for Hachi, all alone for the first time, shunted and shaken in his little wooden box, deafened by the noise from the locomotive, and the screeching of its brakes. The date was January 14th, 1924, and he couldn’t have chosen a worse day to undertake his long journey. A great earthquake hit Tokyo in the early hours of the morning, delaying Hachi’s train and, to make matters worse, a terrible sandstorm was brewing over the Capital Area. When the puppy was finally deposited on the Ueno family doorstep, he had been travelling for an incredible eighteen hours, and was so weak and exhausted that the professor feared him dead.
The year that followed with Master Ueno, his wife, and Tsuruko, their adopted daughter, had undoubtedly been the happiest of Hachi’s young life.
How lucky I was then, he thought, trying to swallow the enormous lump that had risen in his throat. His mind went back to sunny morning walks, accompanying the professor to the entrance of the Komaba University of Agriculture, where he taught, or seeing him off, on longer journeys, at the ticket gate in Shibuya Station, and running to meet him there in the evening.
His whole life changed when Master Ueno failed to return. Many tears were shed that day, and he had overheard Mrs. Yae saying that now Hidesaburò was dead, they would have to find someone to look after poor Hachi.
He stretched out lethargically, almost filling the large kennel the Kobayashi brothers had made for him. It was hardly surprising that he had been the professor’s pride and joy as a puppy, with eyes like tiny, round, shining buttons, and perfect triangular-shaped ears that tilted forward in a fashion that was unique to the Akita Inu breed. He had a wonderfully bushy tail that curled up tightly against his back, and a gruff expression, which belied a kind and generous disposition.
Quite a handsome fellow really, he acknowledged with a wide yawn, closing his eyes once more.
Hachi had a courageous nature, and was respected among the other neighbourhood dogs as a peacemaker, and born leader. His one fear was of sudden, loud noises, and when an unannounced thunderstorm, or gunshots from the nearby Yoyogi Military Exercise Field caught him unawares, he was known to burst, uninvited, into people’s homes, tearing 'Shòji' screens, and generally wreaking havoc. Once he had chosen a suitable hiding place, he would refuse to move, until an embarrassed Mr. Kobayashi arrived on the scene, bowing and apologising, and Hachi would be scolded, and dragged home in disgrace.
Nobody really complained about his strange behaviour. On the contrary, he was well loved, especially by children, his gentle character making him the perfect playtime companion.
That wasn’t to say that everyone in the vicinity was friendly towards Hachi. Down at the local railway station, Mr. Nishimoto, who worked in the ticket office, and had a particular aversion to dogs of any shape or size, never missed an opportunity to kick him, when he thought no one was looking, or startle him from sleep, in the middle of winter, with drops of freezing water from a wicked little bonsai sprinkler he kept hidden under his desk.
Stationmaster Yoshikawa, on the other hand, tolerated Hachi’s presence in the small parcels room, which had become his second home, and even gave him an occasional benevolent tweak of the ear, or the odd scrap of meat, on exceptionally good days.
The torrential rain ceased as quickly as it had begun, and Hachi’ s reverie was interrupted by the sound of Mrs. Kobayashi’s 'Geta' sandals clattering down the path towards his kennel. He knew that before long his food bowl would appear, and sat up in anticipation. Hachi had a very healthy appetite, and willingly helped the friendlier station workers finish the contents of their lunch boxes. He had a special fondness for ‘yakitori’, the barbecued meat sold to commuters in the evening, on stalls outside Shibuya Station. One of the yakitori vendors, and his wife, had become Hachi’s special friends, and having no children of their own, took a particular interest in his welfare, often feeding him with tasty leftovers. Hachi, being a large dog, was always hungry, but he was dignified too, and never begged for food, simply accepting gratefully any that was given to him.
“Hachi, up you get, it’s breakfast time!” Mrs. Kobayashi was enthusiastic about mealtimes too, and her scarlet kimono was stretched to its limit. Hachi’s head appeared through his kennel door, as the matronly figure came waddling across the lawn. A chubby finger tickled his ear affectionately, and he responded with a friendly, and appreciative lick. Mr. and Mrs. Kobayashi took great care of Hachi, as they had promised Mrs. Yae when they agreed he should remain in their custody, to the extent that they often deprived themselves, giving him prime cuts of beef, while their children had to be satisfied with noodles.
Hachi finished his breakfast quickly, and padded over to the low fence which divided the Kobayashi garden from that of their neighbours, the Itò family, owners of Debbie, his best friend. Debbie had seen Hachi through some of his hardest moments, and the two were often to be seen strolling freely around the area together, as dogs were al