RARE PHOTOGRAPH OF HACHIKO WAITING AT SHIBUYA STATION

Hachiko - The World Most Loyal Dog

It’s amazing that nearly 100 years after Hachikō’s passing, historians are still discovering new things about Japan’s most famous dog.

A photograph of the devoted dog has been found – one that provides a view into the dog’s heartbreaking vigil. The rare photograph shows Hachikō relaxing alone at Shibuya Station. According to the Japan News, the photo was taken around 1934 by the late Isamu Yamamoto, a former bank employee who lived in the Sarugakucho district in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. Only a few photos exist of the now legendary dog considered to be the world’s most loyal dog.

The photo shows the dog blending in naturally at the station, and is totally different from other memorial and closeup photos.

When Hachiko is pictured alone, the environment around the dog is unclear. Almost all shots of the dog with people were taken as memorial photos.

The photo found recently was taken around 1934 by the late Isamu Yamamoto, a former bank employee who lived in the Sarugakucho district in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. That year, the first statue of the dog was erected in front of the station and Hachiko attracted public attention as a faithful dog.

Yamamoto’s family found the photo when they were cleaning up the house where he lived and gave it to sculptor Takeshi Ando, 92, in Yoyogi, Shibuya Ward, who created the second statue in front of the station. Yamamoto died in 1947.

In the photo, Hachiko relaxes on his stomach near a ticket gate at the station, while commuters do not seem to pay any particular attention to the dog. In those days, the front of the station was crowded with two-wheeled hand-drawn carts and bicycle-drawn carts.

“Hachiko blended in with the area around the station [in the photo] and this is just what I saw at that time. I have never looked at such a photo that caught the atmosphere of Hachiko’s everyday life at that time so well,” Ando said.

According to Yoko Imamura, 89, Yamamoto’s eldest daughter in Higashi-Nada Ward, Kobe, her father enjoyed taking pictures and the Hachiko photo was found in his album. “Hachiko is a familiar sight to those living near Shibuya Station. I hope the photo my father took will be preserved carefully,” she said.

The first statue was created by Ando’s father, Teru, in 1934. Ando played with Hachiko for about two months while the dog was used as a model in his studio. source: the-japan-news

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