The crossing where more than 1,000 people step out at once, and a shrine forest planted by hand a century ago. Up to six people, by train and on foot.
Hachi was an Akita dog born in Odate in 1923. His owner, Professor Ueno, died suddenly in 1925, and Hachi kept waiting for him at Shibuya Station. The first statue went up in 1934 with Hachi himself at the unveiling. The one you see now was unveiled on 15 August 1948.
A few steps away is the scramble crossing, where Tokyo's own tourism site says more than 1,000 people cross at a time.
Meiji Jingu, founded in 1920, sits in about 70 hectares of forest. It isn't a natural forest. Around 100,000 trees were donated from all over Japan and planted when the shrine was built.
Highlights
Meiji Jingu and Harajuku, then down to Shibuya.
Shrine, park and Harajuku in the morning, Shibuya into the evening.
We finish at Shibuya Station.
Pair Shibuya with Shinjuku or Asakusa.
In January 2011, in my last year of junior high, I left Japan for Brisbane. I stayed until I'd finished university in March 2020. That's nine years of Australian school, uni and part-time jobs.
I speak English and Japanese without any trouble, and I don't get shy around people from other cultures. What I care about most on the day is simple: that you're having a good time.
I'm based in Yokohama. I've been photographing planes since 2009. Since moving back to Japan in 2020, photography has taken me to airports and towns all over the country. Every area I guide is somewhere I've been myself.
I have a serious kiwi fruit allergy (anaphylaxis) and react to some fruit in the rose family. So I check our food stops with the restaurants before the day. If there's anything you can't eat, tell me when you first get in touch.
Quotes are provided in USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, GBP or EUR, so you can skip the hassle of currency conversion. Other currencies are quoted in USD. Each quote covers your whole group of up to six people. When you send an enquiry, please include your preferred dates and the kinds of experiences you'd like.
Yes. The Shibuya city library's records say Hachi waited at the station after Professor Ueno died in 1925, and Hachi was at the unveiling of his first statue in 1934.
No. I don't run drinking tours. The bar alley at Miyashita Park isn't on my routes.
Send me your date, group size and anything you can't eat. I'll come back with a route and a free quote.
Ask for a free quote →Ask me about other areas.