A new statue that depicts the faithful dog Hachiko being reunited with his owner has been unveiled at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Agriculture in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.
The statue re-creates the scene of a joyful Hachiko leaping to greet his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno (1871-1925), a pioneer of Japan’s irrigation engineering and rural planning.
Ueno was a professor in the agricultural department at the then Imperial University of Tokyo, now the University of Tokyo. About three years ago, volunteers — including Todai professors studying the relationship between people and animals — started collecting donations to erect the statue.
“We hope the statue becomes a symbol of the deep affection between people and animals,” a volunteer said.
About 500 people gathered for the unveiling ceremony Sunday, where a white veil was removed from the statue to the sound of tremendous applause.
Sunday marked the 80th anniversary of the death of Hachiko, Japan’s most famous dog. Even after Ueno died, the Akita dog waited for his master’s return every day in front of JR Shibuya Station for nearly 10 years
‘Reunited’ Hachiko statue unveiled at Todai - The Japan News
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