News On Japan

Series of old 'Hachiko' photos discovery

TOKYO, Sep 19 (News On Japan) - Previously unseen photos of the famous Akita dog 'Hachiko', a symbol of Shibuya celebrating his 100th anniversary this year, have been recently discovered.

Hachiko, born in 1923, continued to wait for his owner's return at Shibuya Station even after his master had passed away.

Two of the unearthed photos are particularly valuable for creating future sculptures and 3D representations because they capture Hachiko's front and side profiles in a continuous sequence about a year before his passing.

Curator Keita Matsui remarked, "As he is wearing a ribbon for a ceremony, we can determine that it was taken on the evening of March 10, Showa 9 (1934). To have a specific date identified in a photo from his lifetime is incredibly valuable."

Other new photos have also been unearthed, including one with a child from Kobe alongside Hachiko while he was still alive, with the Hachiko Statue in the background. The statue was erected about 11 months before Hachiko's death, making this photo even more special.

Matsui added, "There are very few photos that capture both Hachiko and the Hachiko Statue. Even with the ones we've confirmed, there are only two or three, including this one."

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Cedar pollen dispersal in Tokyo began on January 8th, marking the earliest start since monitoring began in 1985, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

A snowboarder in his 50s was dramatically rescued two hours after colliding with a tree at a Niigata ski resort, with the tense and timely operation captured on camera.

Nintendo announced on January 16th that it will release the successor to the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2, sometime in 2025.

An avalanche occurred near a ski resort in Ajigasawa, Aomori Prefecture, involving 13 people, mostly foreign tourists. All were safely evacuated, with one person sustaining minor injuries.

A rocket carrying the lunar lander developed by Japanese space venture ispace was successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A Japan Airlines (JAL) international flight faced a major delay after one of its pilots was found to have consumed alcohol exceeding the allowable limits the night before departure. Investigations by FNN have revealed conflicting accounts between JAL and the pilot involved regarding the decision to proceed with the flight.

At 5:46 a.m. on January 17, 1995, a powerful earthquake struck Kobe, leaving widespread devastation in its wake. Taisuke Matsuzaki, a city official at the time, began documenting the aftermath using an 8mm video camera.

In response to a surge in home robbery incidents across the Kanto region, Tokyo has announced plans to allocate 4.7 billion yen in its fiscal 2025 budget to support the installation of home security cameras.

A poetry collection featuring 466 previously unpublished poems by Empress Emerita Michiko will be published on January 15.

Chiba's Urayasu City hosted a '20-Year Celebration' event at Tokyo DisneySea on Monday, marking the transition to adulthood for local residents.

At Kyoto’s Sanjusangendo, newly recognized 20-year-old adults gathered to demonstrate their archery skills during the annual "Toshiya" event.

A female student wielded a hammer on Hosei University's campus in Tokyo, injuring eight students.

A ceremony to celebrate new adults was held in Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City, drawing many young people dressed in vibrant and flamboyant outfits.