By YUKA HONDA/ Staff Writer
October 23, 2024 at 17:19 JST
A barrer conceals the Hachiko statue in front of JR Shibuya Station prior to Halloween 2023. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The iconic statue of a loyal dog that has been a popular meeting point in front of JR Shibuya Station will be blocked from view again this Halloween season.
Shibuya Ward officials plan to put up a temporary cover around the Hachiko statue that marks the square in front of the station.
Shibuya had been a popular area on Halloweens past, and many foreign tourists have used the Hachiko statue as a meeting place and photo spot.
However, local merchants and residents have complained of littering and drunken revelers disturbing the peace on Halloween. Fearing large and unruly crowds around the square, the ward government decided to cover the statue around the spooky holiday last year.
This year, a similar covering will be installed at 6 a.m. on Oct. 30 and kept until 5 a.m. on Nov. 1.
Depending on the size of the crowd around Shibuya Station on Halloween, ward officials may also set up pedestrian traffic controls.
Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe has already said the area will be closed for Halloween.
The original statue was erected in 1934 in honor of Hachiko, the Akita Inu dog that was said to have waited patiently at Shibuya Station for years for his deceased owner to return.
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