is a Japanese language

Japanese language

is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

 film starring Tatsuya Nakadai

Tatsuya Nakadai

is a Japanese leading film actor.He became a star after he was discovered working as a Tokyo shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the early 1950s...

, Kaoru Yachigusa

Kaoru Yachigusa

is a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture. From 1947 to 1957 she was a member of the Takarazuka Revue. Since leaving the Revue, she has been active in film, television, and narration....

, Mako Ishino

Mako Ishino

Mako Ishino is a Japanese singer and actress. She is affiliated with From First Production Co., Ltd.-Albums:* Truth * Mako Revival...

 and Masumi Harukawa. The film, directed by Seijirō Kōyama

Seijirō Kōyama

is a Japanese film director.-Career:Born in Gifu Prefecture, Kōyama attended Nihon University but quit midway to join the independent production company Kindai Eiga Kyōkai, where he worked as an assistant director under such directors as Kaneto Shindō, Kōzaburō Yoshimura, and Tadashi Imai...

, is a tragic, true story about Hachikō

Hachiko

, known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō , was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death.-Life:In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno,...

, an Akita dog who was loyal to his master, Professor Ueno, even after his (Ueno's) death. The film was released in 1987 and was the top Japanese film at the box office that year.

Hachikō Monogatari is a melodramatic film that tells the true story of friendship, trust and affection of Japan's most faithful dog "Hachi

Hachiko

, known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō , was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death.-Life:In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno,...

", whose bronze statue, to this day, stands watch over Shibuya Station

Shibuya Station

is a train station located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.4 million passengers on an average weekday in 2004, it is the fourth-busiest commuter rail station in Japan handling a large amount of commuter traffic between the center city and suburbs to the south and west.-JR East:*Saikyō Line /...

, Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

.

Plot

The movie depicts the series of true-to-life events starting from the birth of Hachikō on November 10, 1923 till his death on March 8, 1935.

Reception

Hachikō Monogatari was the number one Japanese film on the Japanese market in 1987, earning ¥2 billion in distribution income.

Cast

Actor	Role
Tatsuya Nakadai Tatsuya Nakadai is a Japanese leading film actor.He became a star after he was discovered working as a Tokyo shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the early 1950s...	Shujiro Ueno
Kaoru Yachigusa Kaoru Yachigusa is a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture. From 1947 to 1957 she was a member of the Takarazuka Revue. Since leaving the Revue, she has been active in film, television, and narration....	Shizuko Ueno
Mako Ishino Mako Ishino Mako Ishino is a Japanese singer and actress. She is affiliated with From First Production Co., Ltd.-Albums:* Truth * Mako Revival...	Chizuko Ueno
Masumi Harukawa	Okichi
Taiji Tonoyama	Hashimoto
Yoshi Katō Yoshi Kato Yoshi Kato was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 92 films between 1950 and 1988.-Selected filmography:* The Rice People * Zero Focus * Immortal Love...	Kondo
Hisashi Igawa Hisashi Igawa Hisashi Igawa is a Japanese actor who has appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Dodesukaden, Ran and Madadayo.-Selected filmography:-External links:...	Maekawa
Shigeru Izumiya Shigeru Izumiya Shigeru Izumiya is a Japanese poet, folk singer, actor, tarento. He established record company "For Life Records" with Takuro Yoshida, Yosui Inoue, Hitoshi Komuro in 1975...	Yasui
Kei Yamamoto	Serizawa
Kumeko Urabe	Tobacco shop owner
Chōei Takahashi	Mase
Saburō Ishikura	Machida
Shirō Kishibe	Customer
Hairi Katagiri	Oyoshi, maid
Takuji Aoki	Taku Aoki

Crew

Technician	Role
Kazuyoshi Okuyama	Executive Producer
Jun'ichi Shindō	Producer
Mitsui Company Ltd., Shōchiku Eiga, Tokyu Group Tokyu Group The of companies centers on the Tokyu Corporation railway company, which links Tokyo and its suburbs. Many companies in the group are designed to enhance the value of the Tokyu rail network. In addition to the railroad system, the group includes other companies in transportation, real-estate,...	Production Companies
Kazuhiko Fujiwara, Yoshinobu Nishioka	Art Direction
Kenichi Benitani	Sound Recordist
Tadaomi Miya	Dog Trainer

Remakes

An English version of the movie, starring Richard Gere

Richard Gere

Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...

 and Joan Allen

Joan Allen

Joan Allen is an American actress. She worked in theatre, television and film during her early career, and achieved recognition for her Broadway debut in Burn This, winning a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play in 1989.She has received three Academy Award nominations;...

, was released in 2009 as Hachi: A Dog's Tale.