Mystery solved in death of legendary (railway) Japanese dog

[Guest ___]

http://beta.sg.news.yahoo.com/mystery-over-fate-famed-japanese-dog-resolved-20110302-024709-246.html

 

 

Scientists have settled a decades-old mystery by naming a cause of death for Japan's most famous dog, Hachiko, whose legendary loyalty was immortalized in a Hollywood movie starring Richard Gere.

 

They say Hachiko died of cancer and worms, not because he swallowed a chicken skewer that ruptured his stomach — as legend had had it.

 

Hachiko was considered such a model of devotion that his organs were preserved when he died in 1935.

 

For years, Hachiko used to wait at Shibuya train station for its master, a professor at the University of Tokyo. Even after the professor died, the dog went to the station to wait for his master every afternoon for a decade until he finally died.

 

Tokyo residents were so moved that they built a statue of Hachiko at the station, which remains a popular rendezvous spot for Japanese today. He was also the hero of Japanese children's books.

 

The dog's story turned into a 2009 Hollywood film, "Hachi: A Dog's Story," starring Richard Gere — a remake of a 1987 Japanese movie.

 

Rumors had it that Hachiko died after wolfing down a skewer of grilled chicken — Japanese barbecue called yakitori — that ruptured his stomach.

 

But University of Tokyo veterinarians examining his innards said Wednesday that they found Hachiko had terminal cancer and also a filaria infection — worms.

 

Four yakitori sticks remained in Hachiko's stomach, but they did not damage his stomach or cause death, said Kazuyuki Uchida, one of veterinarians.

 

"Hachiko certainly had yakitori given by a street vendor at Shibuya," he said. "But the sticks were unrelated to his death, and the rumor is groundless."

[keitaro]

So thats where futurerama got the idea from for the episode about fry's dog.

 

Always wondered where that came from.

 

BTW Shashinka this made my day

[stevenh]

I think I prefer the chicken skewer story?

[Guest ___]

So thats where futurerama got the idea from for the episode about fry's dog.

 

Always wondered where that came from.

 

BTW Shashinka this made my day

 

I love Futurama, and always from season three one, loved the way their stories progressed. It always reminded me of Red Dwarf once you peeled away the comedy to the actual Sci-Fi parts.

[keitaro]

hah same have all the dvd sets.

[westfalen]

I think I prefer the chicken skewer story?

If I was able to pick the way I go eating Japanese food would have to make the shortlist.

[clem24]

So thats where futurerama got the idea from for the episode about fry's dog.

 

Yup that was a great ep! A heart-warming ep of Futurama, which is strange.

[to2leo]

I didn't made the connection of Futurama and Hachiko until now.  Good observation.

 

Why would people feed the dog with the sticks intact?  Or maybe Hachiko was not that obedient and innocent afterall...

[cteno4]

if he was the old (large) sized akita then the whole thing would be done in one gulp. akita's have jaws like the bears they were bred to hunt!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cumber_s]

Yup that was a great ep! A heart-warming ep of Futurama, which is strange

 

Man this epsiode always makes me cry, the hachiko reference is mention in the comentary DVD track (imho)

and wasn't this epsiode not voted best Futurama Ep?

 

But hachiko is alway moving esp. for all dog owners  (like me).

 

I remember standing beside the original statue in Tokyo and missing my little feller on the other end of the world.

[Guest ___]

if he was the old (large) sized akita then the whole thing would be done in one gulp. akita's have jaws like the bears they were bred to hunt!

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

I want an Akita but I hear they are really tough to train.

[cteno4]

matthew does the akita rescue work, his are rescue dogs.

 

i dont think you train the larger akita breeds, they are very nice dogs, but were trained to hunt bears! they see a squirrel or deer and there is no stopping them. my april fools joke worked so well as if a squirrel had gotten in the basement with the dogs and the layout thats exactly what would have happened!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Guest ___]