Hachiko Waits

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and animal death.

“Could he fool Hachi into thinking he was asleep? Not a chance. Hachi knew the instant his master was awake and told him so by pushing his cold, wet nose into the Professor’s hand.”

This is the first interaction between Hachi and Professor Ueno that the novel depicts. Right away, it’s evident that Hachi and the Professor share a deep emotional bond. The fact that Hachi can tell the Professor is awake even if he doesn’t make a sound characterizes Hachi as acutely clever and particularly attuned to the Professor.

“‘April 1, 1924,’ the Professor read out loud. ‘It is going to be a good day, little friend.’ The Professor said this every day. He was a man of habit.”

Mentioning the date gives readers a clearer idea of the story’s setting (in Japan, April 1 is the first day of the school year). The fact that the Professor repeats the same words every day characterizes him as consistent and dutiful, traits that help strengthen the Professor and Hachiko’s bond and lay the groundwork for the book’s exploration of The Reciprocation of Loyalty.

“Yakitori was the puppy’s favorite meal. ‘I will buy some for your supper tonight on my way home from the train station, and you can practice pulling the chicken off the skewers the way I taught you.’”

The fact that the Professor immediately understands from Hachi’s body language that he wants to eat yakitori speaks to Hachi and the Professor’s unique rapport. Author Lesléa Newman uses Japanese words—like yakitori—throughout the story to imbue the novel with a sense of place and, more broadly, verisimilitude. This quote also foreshadows a later episode in which Hachiko impresses an audience with his ability to remove pieces of chicken from a skewer.