Death Of Hachiko, Legendary Japanese Dog, Explained
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TOKYO — Scientists have settled a decades-old mystery by naming a cause of death for Japan's most famous dog, Hachiko, whose legendary loyalty was immortalized in a Hollywood movie starring Richard Gere.
They say Hachiko died of cancer and worms, not because he swallowed a chicken skewer that ruptured his stomach – as legend had had it.
For years, Hachiko used to wait at Shibuya train station for its master, a professor at the University of Tokyo. Even after the professor died, the dog went to the station to wait for his master every afternoon for a decade until he finally died.
Tokyo residents were so moved that they built a statue of Hachiko at the station, which remains a popular rendezvous spot for Japanese today. He was also the hero of Japanese children's books.
The dog's story turned into a 2009 Hollywood film, "Hachi: A Dog's Story," starring Richard Gere – a remake of a 1987 Japanese movie.
Hachiko was considered such a model of devotion that his organs were preserved when he died in 1935.
Rumor had it that Hachiko died after wolfing down a skewer of grilled chicken – Japanese barbecue called yakitori – that ruptured his stomach.
But University of Tokyo veterinarians examining his innards said Wednesday that they found Hachiko had terminal cancer and also a filaria infection – worms.
Four yakitori sticks remained in Hachiko's stomach, but they did not damage his stomach or cause death, said Kazuyuki Uchida, one of veterinarians.
"Hachiko certainly had yakitori given by a street vendor at Shibuya," he said. "But the sticks were unrelated to his death, and the rumor is groundless."
Source: Huffington Post
Marjz
annotated1+ month ago
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The story begins in Tokyo in 1924. A professor at Tokyo University by the name of Hidesaburō Ueno acquired Hachikō to be his dog, a golden brown Akita. Each day the pair would walk to Shibuya Station together, where Professor Ueno would take the train to work. When he would arrive back at the station at the end of the day, Hachikō would always be there at the precise time to meet him and together they would walk home.
Marjz
annotated1+ month ago
A team of researchers at Tokyo University has determined that the famous loyal dog Hachiko may have died of cancer….back in 1935.
Marjz
annotated1+ month ago
Hachikō was an Akita dog and known for his loyalty. He awaited every afternoon in train station for his owner Professor Hidesaburō Ueno who died sunddenly in 1925. But Hatchiko did not understand that his master was gone so four decade until he also died he live as stray so he could come to the station same time with the same missio, to wait.
Marjz
annotated1+ month ago
Scientists have settled a decades-old mystery by naming a cause of death for Japan's most famous dog, Hachiko.
Death Of Hachiko, Legendary Japanese Dog, Explained
TOKYO — Scientists have settled a decades-old mystery by naming a cause of death for Japan's most famous dog, Hachiko, whose legendary loyalty was immortalized in a Hollywood movie starring Richard Gere. They say Hachiko died of cancer and...
www.huffingtonpost.com