37 pages • 1-hour read
Hachiko Waits
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Character Analysis
Hachiko
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and animal death.
Hachiko, an Akita dog, is the main subject of Hachiko Waits and the heart of its exploration of The Reciprocation of Loyalty. His defining trait is his unwavering devotion to Professor Ueno, making him a static character. Hachiko doesn’t undergo personal changes throughout the story, but his role does evolve throughout the narrative. While he starts out as an endearing puppy named Hachi, he becomes a famous and revered cultural icon known as Hachiko, having earned a suffix connoting distinguishment.
Akitas are large dogs originating from Japan that were originally bred to hunt bears. They are known for their intelligence, bravery, and loyalty. Hachiko embodies all the traits typical of Akitas: He has a thick double coat of fur that is light brown on his back with a white patch on his face, small, dark eyes and upright, triangular ears, and a tail that curls up over his back. His physical correspondence to the breed standard suggests his temperamental correspondence.
Professor Ueno originally names Hachiko “Hachi,” which means “eight” in Japanese, because the Japanese character for eight is shaped like an upside-down fan, which “means that the future is wide open” (18). Hachiko lives up to this explanation of his name, as no one could have ever predicted how significant a cultural icon he would become. As a puppy, Hachiko is strong-willed but extremely bright. He easily learns the commands that the Professor teaches him and eagerly obeys the Professor (most of the time), though he refuses to obey anyone else. The first time Hachiko accompanies Professor Ueno to the train station, the Professor is shocked to discover that Hachiko can tell time—he returns to the station to wait for the Professor at precisely five minutes before three o’clock, the time that the Professor stated he would return. Before Hachiko is two years old, the Professor dies unexpectedly. Hachiko, unable to comprehend that his master has passed away, repeats his ritual of walking to the station to wait for the Professor every day for the rest of his life—which lasts another 10 years. It is this remarkable devotion that makes him a symbol of love and perseverance both within the world of the text and outside of it, and the Epilogue reveals that his actions continue to inspire and shape the lives of those around him long after his own death.
Yasuo Takahashi
Yasuo is the protagonist of Hachiko Waits. A round, dynamic character, Yasuo undergoes significant personal transformation over the course of the story. He is only five years old when he meets Hachiko and the Professor at the train station. An outgoing and curious boy, Yasuo takes an immediate liking to both Hachiko and the Professor. When the Professor dies, Yasuo is therefore devastated. At the same time, he cares deeply for Hachiko and empathizes with the dog’s loss (a key example of Love and Grief as Unifying Forces), so Yasuo takes on the responsibility of caring for Hachiko. Hachiko remains loyal to the Professor for the rest of his life, so he never accepts Yasuo as his new owner, but Yasuo remains devoted to looking after the dog regardless. Yasuo thus demonstrates his own unwavering devotion over the next 10 years, caring for, protecting, and advocating for Hachiko without fail. Yasuo also develops a deep friendship with Mr. Yoshikawa, who shares Yasuo’s respect for the Professor and acts as a secondary caretaker for Hachiko.
By the time Hachiko dies, Yasuo is an adult. Growing up alongside Hachiko’s influence has taught him the value of persistence and devotion, so while Yasuo is heartbroken by Hachiko’s death, he elects to commemorate the dog by commissioning a statue of Hachiko to be erected in the train station. Years later, Yasuo meets his future wife by Hachiko’s statue, the implication being that the fulfilling romance Yasuo finds is a reward—Hachiko’s way of reciprocating the companionship and loyalty Yasuo provided for so many years.
Professor Eizaburo Ueno
Professor Ueno is Hachiko’s owner and master and a teacher of agricultural science at Tokyo Imperial University. The Professor dies unexpectedly early on in the narrative. Despite this, his character is round and fully developed, and his influence informs much of the story even after he dies. He is a scholarly and intelligent man who enjoys imparting knowledge to others and has a passion for all living things. As a colleague of the Professor puts it, “He loved to teach, and he loved his students. But most of all, he loved his golden-brown Akita-Ken” (80). Before his death, the Professor is exceptionally diligent and affectionate in his relationship with Hachiko. The professor’s kindness and devotion to his dog set the stage for the next 10 years—the rest of Hachiko’s lifetime, which he spends waiting for the Professor to return. This mutual love and devotion is at the heart of Hachiko Waits, the central idea driving the story’s narrative.
Mr. Yoshikawa
Mr. Yoshikawa, also referred to as “the Station Master,” is responsible for the management of Shibuya Station, the major train station in Tokyo where Professor Ueno and Yasuo take the train and where Hachiko spends much of his life waiting for the Professor. Mr. Yoshikawa and Yasuo become close over the 10 years they spend caring for Hachiko together, united in their devotion and grief. In addition to being a friend, Mr. Yoshikawa serves as a mentor to Yasuo, guiding him through difficult times like Hachiko’s death.
As an older mentor figure, Mr. Yoshikawa also functions as a foil to Yasuo. Where Yasuo is young and emotionally reactive, Mr. Yoshikawa is pragmatic and measured. Mr. Yoshikawa’s hair becomes grayer throughout the 10 years of Hachiko’s life—a visual manifestation of his aging into a wise and respectable elder figure.
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