Here at our office in Shibuya, we are a short walk from a number of fascinating places. The cool green pastures of Yoyogi Park, the unconventional wackiness of Harajuku bridge, with its cosplayers, and the famed Shibuya crossing. Also known as the "Hachiko crossing," it is familiar to many visitors to Tokyo before they ever arrive. Hachiko is, of course, Hachiko the dog. Born to a litter of eight, and thus named, he found his way into the heart of locals after (legend has it) his owner died and Hachiko waited everyday till his own death at the station for his master's return. Hachiko, the ever-present Akita now sits statuesque and motionless waiting for his master's return. The dog statue has become a popular meeting spot for Tokyoites. Though, in this summer heat, I prefer meeting people in the meat section of the supermarket below the station. Recently, the dog has even been portrayed on the big screen alongside Richard Gere in the film "Hachi." This is not the first time, he's made it onto the big screen in Japan. The story of Hachiko first played in 1987 on film but has been retold in almost every possible media.
The crossing itself gained global fame after appearing in the film "Lost in Translation." The madness and energy of the crowds crossing this impossibly busy intersection personified the raw excitement of the city. It is something to see it in person. I had never seen so much light, movement, noise and chaos in the entirety of my 200 and some odd years on earth. Nothing in the forest can compare or prepare one for such a scene. It is the epitome of modern, urban, and man-made in my mind. But, in a way, I see a teeming anthill. Atop it worker ants scatter to and fro from wherever it is they go and return to disappearing below ground.
Where are all these people going and what are they doing? Each one of them has a story. Ok, some of those stories may be a little boring... but each one bears telling, as it is unique, even among the dizzying numbers that swell the crossing at each change of the light.
Though I live in Shibuya, in the Jibtv office, I never have much reason to cross the crossing for any other reason than my own entertainment and gawking. But it occurs to me each time I visit, there seems to be more and more foreign visitors doing just that. Tokyo Tower is tall. Senso-ji is old. So many places are interesting in Tokyo. But Shibuya crossing must be the cities core. Maybe Hachiko wasn't actually waiting for his master to return. Like me, he just liked hanging out at this incredible crossroads.
