While the Tokyo statue of Hachiko the faithful dog continues to wait for his master, his neighbor "Aogaeru" (green frog), a train car that served as a tourist information center and meeting spot, is leaving.
The train, so dubbed as it is painted a solid green, sits in front of Hachiko Square at Shibuya Station. It was removed on Monday and placed on a trailer to be shipped to the famously loyal dog's birthplace of Odate City, Akita Prefecture.
The 11-ton, 11.22 meter-long train car is of the Tokyu 5000 series that operated on the Tokyu Toyoko Line for about 30 years until 1986. Shibuya Ward acquired the train from Tokyu Corp. and installed it in the square in 2006 as a tourist information center.
With the ongoing large-scale redevelopment of the area surrounding Shibuya Station it was decided that the train car would be donated to Odate for its connection with Hachiko.
The relocation work began Monday before dawn. Workers placed rollers under Aogaeru, covered it with tarps and then moved it to the Shibuya intersection. A crane then lifted the car onto a trailer that departed around 5:15 a.m. Train fans gathered to watch the operation and there was an air of mournful lament as the enthusiasts took their final pictures in Tokyo of the beloved monument.
The train is scheduled to arrive in Odate on Thursday. This autumn, it will be on display at the city's Akita Dog Visitor Center.
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