This heart – warming movies about a dog’s devotion to his master is based on a true story. It also embodies the virtue of loyalty that is so prized by the Japanese.
A puppy is sent from Akita Prefecture in northern Japan to Professor Ueno of Tokyo University in Tokyo. Though ailing, it soon recovers, and although the professor’s daughter Chizuko promises to take care of it, she soon marries and leaves home. As the professor’s wife Shizuko disapproves of the dog and their servant Saikichi despises any four-legged animal, it is left to Professor (Jeno to look after the dog. He names it Hachi, a popular name for dogs in Japan.
The mischievous pet soon reigns supreme in the neighbourhood and wins not only the love of the professor, but the affection of the other residents as well, who soon begin calling him ‘Hachi-ko’ or ‘Dear Hachi’.
The professor’s nearest train station is Shibuya and Hachi-ko early makes it a practice to accompany him there” in the morning and also to trot back to wait for him there in the evening. This further endears him to the professor.
One day, however, Hachi-ko suddenly awakes from his afternoon nap and barking frantically, dashes wildly down to Shibuya Station. But he will never meet his master again. Professor Ueno had suffered a fatal stroke at the very moment Hachi-ko woke so abruptly from his nap.
After the professor’s death, his widow sells the house and moves away, leaving Hachi-ko behind. A friendly contractor tries to take care of him, but Hachi continue to return to his former home and Shibuya Station.
Kiku, a sympathetic gardener, then looks after the dog, who continues to go to the station at precisely 5:30 every evening. But Kiku, too, dies, leaving Hachi-ko a helpless stray.
Even so, daily, without fail, Hachi-ko makes his way to Shibuya Station to wait for the master who could not come. The persistence of the faithful dog touched the hearts of the people in Shibuya deeply. Following his death they commissioned a bronze statue to be erected in front of the station, where it has become the most famous meeting place in Tokyo.

Color / Vista Vision / 1987 / 108 min./ Tokyu Group, Mitsui Bussan & Shochiku

Cast
Professor Ueno ……………………………..Tatsuya Nakadai
Shizuko……………………………………….. Kaoru Yachigusa
Chizuko…………………………………………Mako Ishino
Moriyama………………………………………Toshiro Yanagiba
Saikichi…………………………………………Toshinori Obi
Kiku ……………………………………………..Hiroyuki Nagato

Production Group
Executive Producer…………………………….Kazuyoshi Okuyama
Producers ………………………………………Hisao Nabeshima/Junichi Shindo
Screenplay ……………………………………. Kaneto Shindo
Photography. ……………………………………Masahisa Himeda
Music……………………………………………. Tetsuji Hayashi
Director…………………………………………..Seijiro Koyama