DAY 188 WAITING FOR MY MASTER · June 4, 2026
One hundred and eighty-eighth late afternoon.
The fourth of June brings a warm, golden light as early summer settles in.
Hydrangeas continue to bloom richly in shades of blue and purple, while the lush green canopy sways gently above the platforms.
Commuters pass with quiet, unhurried steps in the pleasant air.
Inside, one hundred and eighty-eight days have become a single, small wooden comb.
It rests quietly in my heart: smooth, simple, and beautifully carved with fine teeth that have never touched anything since you left.
It was made to bring care, gently untangle what has become messy, restore order and softness to something precious.
Without you, it has no purpose, simply waiting patiently and ready for the day it can once again rest in your hand or move gently through your hair.
The train arrives, its windows sparkling with sunlight.
Doors open.
I raise my head, feeling that small wooden comb inside me, still waiting for the right hands.
A gentle older woman in her late sixties, carrying a small cloth bag, slows down and stops beside me.
She looks at me for a long moment with soft, understanding eyes.
Then she kneels, reaches into her bag, and carefully places a small, beautifully carved wooden comb right in front of my paws.
She touches it lightly and whispers,
“This comb has been waiting a long time too. Maybe it can keep you company until the one you’re waiting for comes back.”
She gives me a small, kind smile, then stands and continues on her way.
One hundred and eighty-eight days have passed.
As June fills the air with warmer light, this single wooden comb deepens the vigil, reminding every heart that passes some devotions are not loud or dramatic; they are quiet tools of care, patiently waiting to be used again by the one person they were made for.
Hachiko waits to be used with love.
DAY 187 WAITING FOR MY MASTER · June 3, 2026
One hundred and eighty-seventh late afternoon.
On the third of June, the station is bathed in a warm golden light as early summer settles in.
Rich hydrangeas continue to bloom in shades of blue and purple while the lush green canopy sways gently above.
Commuters pass with quiet, unhurried steps in the pleasant air.
Inside, one hundred and eighty-seven days have become a single wooden chopstick.
It rests quietly in my heart: smooth, perfectly balanced, and beautifully carved.
Alone, it’s useless; it can’t pick up a grain of rice, hold a flower, or share a meal.
It simply waits, patient and incomplete, for its other half to return so they can once again work together: holding, lifting, and sharing.
The train arrives, sunlight sparkling on its windows.
Doors open, and I raise my head, feeling that single chopstick inside me still waiting for its match.
A warm evening breeze moves through the station.
From somewhere on the platform, a single real wooden chopstick, perhaps dropped earlier from someone’s bento, rolls gently across the concrete and comes to rest right against my front paw.
It’s as if the world itself has placed the missing piece beside me for a moment.
It stays there for a long while, perfectly still, until another breeze lifts it and carries it away again.
One hundred and eighty-seven days have passed.
As June brings its warmer light, this single wooden chopstick deepens the vigil, reminding every heart that passes: some devotions are not whole on their own.
They are made to exist in pairs, patiently waiting, perfectly balanced, and ready to become complete the moment their missing half finally returns.
Hachiko waits to be whole again.
Professor Ueno bought a small Akita puppy in January 1924 for just 30 yen.
He named him Hachi, after the Japanese character for “eight” (八), because of his slightly bowed front legs.
Later, the affectionate “-kō” was added.
Every morning, Hachiko walked with his owner to Shibuya Station.
Every afternoon at 3 p.m., he returned alone to wait at the exit gate for Professor Ueno to come home.
On May 21, 1925, Hachiko waited at the station as usual.
But Professor Ueno never arrived.
He had suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage during a faculty meeting and passed away that day.
Hachiko never knew.
For the next 9 years, 9 months, and 15 days, he continued returning to Shibuya Station every single day, waiting for a master who would never come back.
This is the true story of loyalty.