was a Japanese Akita dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, for whom he continued to wait for over nine years following Ueno’s death.
During his lifetime, the dog was held up in Japanese culture as an example of loyalty and fidelity. Since his death, he continues to be remembered worldwide in popular culture with statues, movies and books. Hachikō is also known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō (忠犬ハチ公, ‘faithful dog Hachikō’), with the suffix -kō originating as one once used for ancient Chinese dukes; in this context, it was an affectionate addition to his name Hachi.