It’s Hachiko 78th memorial anniversary of his passing, so I’m thrilled to introduce “Hachi: The Truth of the Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan” by historian Mayumi Itoh.
Itoh details little known facts about Hachiko’s life – full of twists and turns and certainly “stranger than fiction.” Within the pages, you’ll learn how the story of the loyal dog was created, what happened to his first statue, what his life was really like prior to being discovered… and much, much more.
Digging deep into Hachiko’s intriguing past, Itoh shares a historical perspective on the impact between the famous dog of Japan and Japanese society of that era. It’s compelling and a must read for any true Hachi lover.
I learned more about Hachi in one day than in years!
Update: Since this book was published in 2013, new information has been uncovered about the loyal Akita. In 2017, Itoh created a substantial revision called, “Hachi: The Truth of the Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan.” The author summarizes her efforts, “In essence, this book has everything that people ever wanted to know about the most famous dog in Japan.” Having used Itoh’s book as reference, I agree! It’s a totally fascinating read that will leave Hachi fans riveted.
Animals in Wartime
A former Professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Itoh writes on Japanese foreign policy as well as domestic politics for academic journals. In her 2010 book, “Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy: The Silent Victims of World War II”, Itoh remembers, “It is to be hoped that mankind has learned its lesson from the march of folly during World War II and other wars in recent years, in which countless animals have perished…”
“It is further to be hoped that international organizations…will mobilize their forces to lobby governments to ratify an international treaty concerning the protection and care of captive animals in times of war and disaster… This application to animals of 1949 Geneva Convention concerning the treatment of non-combatants would mark the moral progress of mankind, as suggested by Mahatma Gandhi, if belatedly.”
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of humankind. Mahatma Gandhi Click To TweetAfter seeing Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, and discovering it’s based on a real story, is there anything you wanted to know? Now you can find out in “Hachi: The Truth of the Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan.”
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