Shibuya Street Life at night and the story of Hachiko
Shibuya never sleeps. Even after midnight Shibuya bustles with life. The street vendors selling snacks to hungry shoppers never disappear, nor do the crowds of university and high school students, tourists, club hoppers, young restless businessmen and the like. The parties in the countless karaoke boxes continue into the wee hours of the morning.
The world famous intersection in Shibuya is named after a dog whose touching story is well-known in Japan.
In 1924 and 1925, a dog named “Hachiko” accompanied his master every morning to Shibuya station where he returned in the afternoon to greet his master after work. One day, Hachiko’s master passed away and never returned to their meeting spot in front of Shibuya station where Hachiko kept on waiting every afternoon for the following ten years. Other commuters were impressed deeply by the dog’s loyalty and devotion.
Today there’s a bronze statue of Hachiko in front of Shibuya station’s “Hachiko Exit”.
You might also be interested in my post “Hachiko Crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo“:
http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2009/06/25/hachiko-crossing-in-shibuya-tokyo/
