Hachi

A few weeks ago, Brian and I watched a movie on the Hallmark channel called Hachi. The movie is based on the true tale of a Japanese Akita dog that became a national icon in Japan. In this adaptation, Richard Gere plays a college professor who finds the dog abandoned at a Rhode Island train station on his commute home. Unable to find an owner for the dog, Gere takes him in for the night. The two quickly establish a bond and Hachi (his name derived from the Japanese symbol on his collar, meaning "eight") becomes part of the family. Soon, Gere is walking with Hachi to the train station in the morning and finding the dog waiting for him when he arrives home daily.

Half way through the movie, I realized two things: 1. this was the Hallmark channel so I knew that the story would be heart-wrenching and 2. this was a story about a dog and dog movies/stories usually end with the dog eventually dying (ex. Marley and Me). I thought about turning the channel but I didn't. I had to continue watching...  and of course, by the end of the movie I was in tears.

A bronze statue of Hachi at Shibuya Station