The redevelopment of Shibuya continues to wreak havoc on the heart and soul of the area, this time with the removal of Shibuya Station's iconic "Hachiko's Family" ceramic mural. The mural has been a staple of the station's Hachiko exit since 1990, intended to imagine a world where the exit's loyal Akita-inu lived on to have a family of his own.

The mural was crafted by Japanese artist Ryutaro Kitahara and is made up of over 1,200 ceramic panels, assembled as a large 3D image featuring 20 Akita-inu with Hachiko at the center. The removal of the mural is a result of the relocation of the Hachiko ticket gate on January 26th. JR East considered trying to relocate the mural as well but after consulting with Kitahara's side the result was that it would be too difficult to remove, restore, and repair the ceramic panels safely.

Fences have been up around the mural, preparing for its removal, for a couple of days and with no plans for a ceremony or any kind of preservation of any elements of the mural there's an air of sadness around the removal itself. Outside of its placement and the art itself, it was a popular and central meeting point for commuters coming into Shibuya from any of its many lines and has been a staple of daily life in the area for 35 years.

This is happening just after the station relocated the Moai head statue from the Station's South ticket gate to a nearby consumer center on January 22nd, also a result of the ongoing changes at the station. The construction in the area is scheduled to continue into 2027, so the changes are nowhere near complete and with each one seeming to ignore (and in some cases outright removing) the soul of Shibuya in favor of looking toward the future we just really hope the end result is going to be worth it.

Update (February 4, 2025): We have been informed that Kitahara's family were not consulted about the removal and had indeed requested the relocation or recovery of some of the mural, but their requests were ultimately denied. Thank you to LOVEhachi on X for the additional information!

Source: Shibuya Keizai Shinbun