There's a film adaptation of this (true) story, called Hachi[1]. Worth a watch if you like dogs. I think they actually used a Shiba for most of the puppy scenes, and the adult dog was an Akita.
I've got a 2 y/o Shiba Inu, and she's pretty amazing. I've had several dogs in the past, but a Shiba is nothing like other breeds. She's incredibly smart and has more personality than I've ever known a dog to have.
If you live in Tokyo, you know that the statue of Hachiko-san is the default meeting place / hang out spot for many Tokyoites in Shibuya
I don't think there's any conscious symbolism around it today, but I wonder if the trend of waiting there started off as an ode to Hachiko's loyalty and extending that to a friend you're meeting.
I've seen his statue outside Shibuya station, and also knew about the story, but seeing the black and white pictures on that page hits me how Hachiko wasn't waiting in a neon-lit super-busy corner of Tokyo, surrounded by glass and concrete skyscrapers, it was a whole different world back then.
We have a pet Japanese Akita and he's extremely loyal and good at remembering people. He freaks out when he sees his favourite people, even after years apart.
Probably inspired the ending to a classic, sappy Futurama episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Bark
Interesting coincidence, just yesterday I saw a video on Serbian TV about a similar case of a dog waiting for his owner, who had gone on a bus (as was the routine) and died. The dog is still waiting for him, being fed and taken care of by nearby people, but refusing to be moved from that place.
You can see the video I captured here: https://milankragujevic.com/uploads-cdn/310724819332445.mp4
See also Greyfriars Bobby https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby
Does anyone know how tths story actually gained public recognition? I mean, its a dog from 1925, and back then, people weren't posting pics all day and the dog was likely also not featured in the daily TV news :-) Maybe thats a stupid question, but I still wonder.
Rationally I know the dog probably just got somewhat accidentally trained to go the station at the same time and kept doing it (reinforced after his master's death by getting fed there) but that picture of the station staff all mourning the dying dog really got me!
Isn't it interesting how, when a dog shows such extreme and unquestioning loyalty, we find it so adorable and endearing. When a person shows such loyalty, it can almost be off-putting!
Is it that people have so many hidden motivations you become suspicious, or worry about generating / reciprocating feelings of obligation, or end up disappointing you after causing you to invest emotion?
Or just that a "simple" animal can exhibit such complex behavior that we find especially endearing?