In 1923, it snowed heavily in Odate City, Akita Prefecture, Japan. The purebred Akita dogs of the Kondo family gave birth to puppies and presented them to the head of the prefecture's civil engineering department, Mase. The latter gave one of the dogs to Tokyo Imperial University professor Ueno Hidejiro (played by Tatsuya Nakadai) to train. Ueno's only daughter Chizuko was delighted by this, but the Ueno couple looked embarrassed. Later, Chizuko (played by Mako Ishino) fell in love and got pregnant with her boyfriend's child. Her boyfriend made a special trip to visit her. Ueno talked to her, and the latter was terrified and frankly said that he would be responsible for his daughter and hold the wedding on the same day without delay. Ueno heard this and turned from anger to joy. After Chizuko got married, Ueno immediately invested all his efforts and love in the puppy and named it Hachi. Every day when going to and from get off work, Ah Ba would wait at Shibuya Station, all year round, rain or shine, astonishing passers-by and becoming a local landscape. The affection between master and servant moved heaven and earth... This film was adapted from real events and was the box office champion in Japan in 1987, with a box office of 5.4 billion yen.