These
days, it is rare for a truly good movie to come out. I mean one of those movies
that leave you tingling with warmth, like you have just drank a bowlful of your
favourite soup. I am glad I stumbled upon “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story”, which is
based on a true story.
The
movie starts with a Japanese monk bringing along his Akita Inu puppy, Hachi, on
board a plane, headed for the U.S.A. Once the plane lands in the States, due to
the poor handling of the boxes and crates in the goods compartment of the
plane, Hachi’s cage falls off onto the road, with Hachi inside it. Hachi soon manages
to break open his cage and loiters freely towards a nearby railway station.
That is when Parker, a university music professor, finds Hachi and brings him
home. Parker finds a plane ticket in Japanese attached to Hachi’s collar, and
brings it to his Japanese-American friend, who tells Parker that Hachi is from
Japan. He also points out at a wooden tag on the collar Hachi had been found
wearing, on which was written “Hachi” in Japanese, and tells Parker that
“Hachi” means good fortune. Parker adopts Hachi as his own dog. Soon, a bond
develops between Hachi and Parker and his family. Every single day, Hachi would
wait at the railway station for Parker to arrive from his university. It went
on like this, until one day, Parker suddenly passed away in the middle of
lecturing in his university. Despite the fact that his beloved master would
never be coming back, Hachi would wait at the exact spot outside the gates of
the railway station every day, just like he used to when his master was alive.
Hachi did this for the rest of his life.
The
true story is from Japan. An Akita Inu named Hachiko also waited for his
master, a professor, at Shibuya railway station every single day, for nine
years after his master passed away. Presently, there is a bronze statue of
Hachiko the Akita Inu at Shibuya railway station to honour Hachiko’s loyalty.
The
faithfulness and devotion of Hachiko to Parker moved me to tears. I loved it. It made me realise that
animals are truly capable of showing pure love, to the extent of waiting
loyally for their deceased masters. It brought me to this notion – if animals
are capable of this loyalty, why can’t humans be loving and loyal? (For
instance, many are disloyal to their elderly parents by not looking after them
even after all that their parents have done for them.) Humans too are capable
of reciprocating love towards each other. Humans should be indebted and loyal
to the people who have played a part in shaping them into what they are, and to those who have loved them dearly.
“Hachiko:
A Dog’s Story” is a movie that should be watched and re-watched; it will
definitely bring you a warm tingling sensation as well as enlightenment about
loyalty you will never forget.
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