HACHICKO’S Mystery Death Finally Solved

Scientists have finally solved the mystery behind the real cause of death of Japan’s legendary dog named Hachiko and found out that cancer and worms are the main cause and not the chicken skewer it swallowed which was first believed to be the prime cause.

Hachicko died in 1935 and the Japanese people were overwhelmed by its magnificent act of loyalty to its master. With this, its vital organs were preserved at the National Museum of Japan and even put a monument of it on the spot where it is constantly waiting for its master to arrive. The story became more popular when the Japanese made a movie about it in the year 1987.

Its heartbreaking story spreads across the globe, and Hollywood made its own version in 2009 entitled “Hachi: A Dog's Story” which starred Richard Gere. In the movie, Hachicko was found by Richard Gere wandering at the train station and seems lost. He carried it at his home and that was the start of the heart melting story.

Hachicko everyday followed and met his master, a professor at the University of Tokyo at the Shibuya train station every afternoon, and then they will go home together. Then the owner died suddenly, but Hachicko in the course of 9 years, came to the station everyday at 5 oclock to meet the owner and waited for him until the last train.

The people at the train station have witnessed Hachicko’s loyalty to its master. Then, one day, one barbecue vendor gave the dog four gilled chicken on stick (yakitori in Japan) and later on that day it died.

But now, that the mystery of Hachicko’s death was finally solved, what then remains is a nice memory of its unconditional love and loyalty to its master until the day it died, and its legend will surely lives on.

Hachicko’s bronze monument near Shibuya train station, its waiting spot.

A tear dropping scene… The master is saying goodbye to Hachicko before getting on the train to go to work.