What You Need to Know:
- Most citizens of Japan will likely know of the story behind Hachikou, the loyal dog who waited for his owner to return to Shibuya station, who sadly did not show up due to his passing. This act of unwavering loyalty is regarded very highly in Japan and so when folks visit Shibuya Station they're likely to see Hachikou poised, with its head raised looking out for its owner. In the west however, Hachikou Day likely will not resonate well unless you've actually made a trip to Tokyo at some point.
- Or, if you've paid attention to anime though, Hachikou has actually made numerous appearances in various episodes ranging from Love Live! Sunshine, Gatchaman Crowds Insight, iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls, and Strike the Blood to name a few. Hachiko is a cultural symbol of not only Shibiuya Station (Hachiko Exit is where you'll find it by the way), but the entire nation as stated earlier, and so many people like to hang out around the iconic statue while waiting for friends or they simply have nothing better to do. There's likely a lot of websites out there that explain the long history behind Hachikou and his owner, so we highly recommend doing some research to become more familiar with Japanese culture!
- What other anime can you think of that featured the Hachiko Statue? Let us know in the comments!
Great to know the history behind the statue, and its significance!
Yeah, who would've thought it had so much history!
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