Rare photo emerges of ‘world’s most loyal dog’

A rare historical photo has emerged of Hachiko, known in folklore to have been the world’s most loyal dog.

His story began in 1924 when Hachiko was brought to Tokyo by his owner Hidesamuro Ueno, according to Gizmundo.

Every day when Ueno would leave for work, his faithful companion would reportedly wait by the door to watch as he left. At 4 P.M., Hachiko would then go to the train station and calmly await his master’s arrival.

Impressed by the canine’s dedication, a passerby at the train station decided to write articles about the breed. Those actions not only caused a resurgence in what was a failing breed in Japan, but also succeeded in turning Hachiko into a household name, according to the website.

Shortly before his death in 1935, Hachiko was immortalized as a bronze statue out front the Shibuya Station.

The newly-discovered photo was posted online by The Japan News.

The photo was taken around 1934 by a former bank employee who lived in the district, according to The Japan News.

It was reportedly given to sculptor Takeshi Ando who created the second bronze statue of Hachiko to sit out front the Shibuya Station.

“Hachiko blended in with the area around the station [in the photo] and this is just what I saw at that time,” Ando, now 92, told the website. “I have never looked at such a photo that caught the atmosphere of Hachiko’s everyday life at that time so well.”