Miraflores Unveils Hachiko Statue in New Shibuya Park Linking Peru and Japan

A new park inspired by Tokyo's Shibuya district was inaugurated in the Miraflores neighbourhood of Lima, featuring a statue of Hachiko, the famous Japanese Akita dog known for waiting nearly a decade for his deceased owner. The ceremony was attended by Miraflores mayor Carlos Canales and Shibuya mayor Ken Hasebe and marks the first cultural project under the sister‑city agreement signed between the two districts in 2024.

Hachiko’s story began in the 1920s when he accompanied professor Hidesaburō Ueno to Shibuya Station each day. After Ueno’s sudden death in 1925, the dog continued to wait at the station for almost ten years, becoming a national symbol of loyalty in Japan. The new park aims to promote cultural exchange, tourism and educational activities between Peru and Japan, using the dog’s legacy as a shared emblem of friendship and solidarity.