20 for 2009 - Hachiko: A Dog's Story

I am a dog person.

No two ways about it. Love dogs, hate cats. And love films about dogs.

So when I hear there's a new film about a dog and his extraordinary bond with it's owner I'm there. Same as I will be for Marley and Me.

Bear with me though as Hachiko isn't your average doggie tale, it's based on a true and unforgettable story.


A Staue of the real Hachiko in Tokyo.


Hachiko was born in Japan in 1923 and was first brought to Tokyo in 1924. He and his owner were inseparable friends right from the start. Each day "Hachi" would accompany his owner, a professor at the Imperial University, to the train station when he left for work. Upon returning, the professor would find the dog patiently waiting, tail wagging. This happy routine continued until one fateful day in 1925, when the professor was taken ill on the job and unfortunately died before he could return home.

Despite the fact that Hachiko was less than two years old at the time, the bond between dog and owner was strong. Hachiko continued to wait each day at Shibuya station for a friend who was never coming back. At times, he wouldn't return home for days at a stretch.

The Akita became a familiar sight to commuters as he kept his vigil for over ten years. On March 8, 1935, Hachiko finally went to meet his master. He died on the very same spot he last saw his friend alive.

The film is being directed by Lasse Hallstrom, no stranger to the kind of four hanky epics like this and stars Joan Allen and Richard Gere. Whether this means Gere will be dead after the first half of the movie remains to be seen but I wouldn't be surprised. Either way I'm there.