Hachiko - A true story

Less sobbing in the US trailer of Hachiko. I guess it's because teh story isn't as well-known as in Japan. But I'm sure that people will moved by Hachiko A Dog's Tale.

Hachiko Movie Poster

Here below a few official posters of Hachiko A Dog's Tale, aka Hachi:





So much affection between the Akita dog Hachi and his master (Richard Gere)!

Actor Richard Gere's interest in Asia is not limited to Buddhism and to the Dalai Lama: he's also been touched by the story of Hachiko, a dog of breed Akita who lived in Japan more than half a century ago and who rose to fame because of his unconditional love for his owner. Gere has been so moved that he's been pushing for an American movie adaptation of the story (some people would say a remake of the Japanese movie based on the same true story), even going to co-produce the film with his own money!

Director Lasse Hallstrom has been hired to helm the film. Richard Gere takes the lead role. The movie Hachiko A Dog Story is also starring Joan Allen and Sarah Roemer. It will be released on August 8, 2009 in Japan, so we may expect a US release by year end.

Here below the first official movie trailer of Hachiko A Dog Story:




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Plot:
"A college professor (Richard Gere) takes in an abandoned dog, Hachi, and they form an unbreakable bond. After the professor dies while away from home, the dog keeps vigil waiting for his master for nearly a decade."

Cast:
- Richard Gere as Parker, the professor
- Joan Allen as the professor's wife
- Sarah Roemer as Andy, the professor's daughter
- Jason Alexander as Carl

The story of Hachiko is really moving. It's like a mirror story of Marley and Me. Those cute dogs are irresistible! I'm sure I will cry a bit with this movie too!

Don't miss Richard Gere and his Akita dog in the movie Hachiko A Dog's Story!

Last year, CNN sneaked onto the set of Hachiko A Dog Story, the tale of a long-life devotion of a dog to its

Nice look to the behind the scenes of the movie Hachiko A Dog's Story: filming took place in Rhodes Island.
If you're wondering about the breed (race) of the dog Hashi, it's an Akita, a really cute Japanese dog.

Hachiko A Dog Story Pictures

Here below some pictures of the film Hachiko A Dog Story, upcoming movie directed by Lasse Hallstrom and starring Richard Gere:
(Click on a picture to enlarge it.)




They are so lovely together! The dog Hachiko is much more cute than the aging Richard Gere though.

Hachiko Based on a True Story

The movie Hachiko A Dog' Story is based on a true story that took in first half of the 20th century in Japan. We may learn more thanks to Wikipedia:





***In 1924, Hachiko was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner's life Hachiko saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno didn't return on the usual train one evening. The professor had suffered a stroke at the university that day. He died and never returned to the train station where his friend was waiting.

Hachiko was given away after his master's death, but he routinely escaped, showing up again and again at his old home. After time, Hachiko apparently realized that Professor Ueno no longer lived at the house. So he went to look for his master at the train station where he had accompanied him so many times before. Each day, Hachiko waited for Professor Ueno to return. And each day he didn't see his friend among the commuters at the station.

The permanent fixture at the train station that was Hachikō attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachiko and Professor Ueno together each day. Realizing that Hachiko waited in vigil for his dead master, their hearts were touched. They brought Hachiko treats and food to nourish him during his wait.

This continued for 10 years, with Hachiko appearing only in the evening time, precisely when the train was due at the station.




***

The people of Japan was so touched by this heartfelt example of a dog's devotion for his owner that a statue a bronze statue in Hachiko's likeness was erected at Shibuya Station:
(Click on the picture to enlarge it.)What an incredibly touching story! Hachiko was such a great dog! Such stories make you wish to have a pet!