TSU--A century after an Akita Inu dog was born in northeastern Japan, his legacy lives on to this day and even continues growing among a legion of fans.

Hachiko, the loyal dog that waited for his master’s return at Shibuya Station in Tokyo every day for years after his death, would have turned 100 in November this year.

The canine has been immortalized by a landmark bronze statue outside the station, which serves as a popular meeting spot, and a famed Hollywood movie.

‘HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART’

The dog’s story has captivated a woman who lives 9,000 kilometers from the sculpture.

Stephanie Carletti, 20, who hails from Bergamo in northern Italy, says her first love was Hachiko.

She was impressed by the dog’s loyalty when she watched “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” a 2009 film starring Richard Gere, when she was 10.

The ardent fan has studied about Hachiko and published a picture book themed on the dog.

She married last year, but she says, “Hachi always has a special place in my heart.”

Carletti, who has been dreaming about meeting him someday, is visiting Japan for the first time this summer.

She intends to visit sites associated with Hachiko, including the Shibuya district, the National Museum of Nature and Science, where a stuffed replica of the dog is on display, and Aoyama Cemetery, where his grave is located.

When she finally stands in front of Hachiko’s statue, she will say: “I have been finally able to meet you after waiting for this moment for so long.”

Hachiko was born on Nov. 10, 1923, in present-day Odate, Akita Prefecture.

The dog was taken in by Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor at Tokyo Imperial University, now the University of Tokyo, soon after birth.

The animal accompanied his master to and from Shibuya Station every day and continued to wait for his return at the station for years after his death.

Hachiko’s story created a buzz when it was published in The Tokyo Asahi Shimbun, now The Asahi Shimbun.

FAN LETTERS TO OWNER’S GRANDSON

Ueno’s great-great-grandchildren, Kai Ueno, 25, and Shin, 21, say they are proud of how the dog once kept by their ancestor is widely cherished to this day.

Shin, who lives in Mie Prefecture, learned about his association with Hachiko when he was a grade-schooler. Kazuto, his now-deceased grandfather who was a grandson of Ueno, told him about the dog.

While Shin didn’t take it seriously at first, he felt a connection to the legendary canine after seeing fan letters addressed to Kazuto and other items.

Carletti learned that a grandchild of Ueno was living in Mie Prefecture and sent an email to the prefectural government around 2014.

A prefectural government official relayed the message to Kazuto, who replied to the Italian fan in a letter and started an exchange with her.

Kai said he is looking forward to seeing Carletti when she comes to Japan.

“I found a wonderful connection like this through Hachi, all thanks to how special the 100th anniversary of his birth is,” he said.

NEW E-BOOK ON HACHIKO’S LIFE

Mayumi Itoh, a scholar of international politics who serves as a volunteer instructor at Princeton University, has been studying about Hachiko since around 2010.

In a Kindle e-book released on March 8, the same day on which Hachiko died in 1935, she discusses her findings, such as the origin of his name, the cause of his death and how the dog lived after Ueno’s death.

“Hachi has a strong name recognition also in the United States,” Itoh said, adding that there are two bronze statues of the dog in the country.

The foreword for the book was provided by Yasushi Akashi, 92, a former United Nations under-secretary-general.

Hachiko was born at the Saito family in Odate, the family home of Akashi’s mother.

Akita Inu dogs have always been a part of Akashi’s life as he is from a family that had kept many of them, and he owned one when he was working in the United States.

“A story is mixed with fictional elements as time passes,” Akashi said. “Ito’s book is very valuable because it sheds light academically on facts about Hachi.”

Itoh said: “I want people to know more about Hachi’s charms. The greatness of his unwavering and honest feelings to wait for his master will never fade away even after 1,000 years.”