If you have ever visited or watched a vlog about Shibuya, a popular ward in Tokyo, you must have heard of the statue of a dog called Hachikō ハチ公. Hachikō is well known as a very faithful dog that continued to wait for his owner to arrive by train at Shibuya station every evening for about nine years after his owner had passed away.

The statue is famous as a meeting spot or a symbol of Shibuya. However, the dog was originally from Akita prefecture in northern Japan. Today, Akita prefecture is facing some serious issues such as population decline and an aging population.

In order to support and revitalize the economy of Akita prefecture, Akita Cable TV Co., Ltd. has opened a special shop called "ハチふる (hachifuru*) SHIBUYA meets AKITA" in Shibuya where customers can help by purchasing Hachikō merchandise and Akita prefecture's local specialties.

*Hachifuru is an abbreviation of ハチ公のふるさと hachikō no furusato, meaning “Hachikō’s hometown” in Japanese.

I bought this pack of waffle rusks and enjoyed the crispy maple flavored snack which was made from Akita milk. The illustration of Hachikō on the package is very adorable too!

In addition, because Hachikō was an Akita inu, part of the sales at this shop will be donated to help with the preservation of the breed.

Beautiful purple beer made from blueberries locally grown in Akita

This beautiful purple-colored beer is a blueberry flavor beer!

As this blueberry malt uses a lot of delicious blueberries made in Akita prefecture, this beer is very fruity. On the label, the cute Hachikō statue and the cool Shibuya town are portrayed in a sophisticated art style. You’ll enjoy its bottle design, the vivid purple color, and its taste!

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Sweets made from Akita’s specialty in colorful boxes

Look at these baked sweets in colorful boxes! Of course, each box features Hachikō on the front.

These cakes are made from ingredients made in Akita prefecture. There are five flavors: edamame 枝豆 (immature soybeans), sakekasu-mushi-shokora 酒粕蒸ショコラ (sake lee ssteamed chocola), iburigakko いぶりがっこ (smoked pickled Japanese radish), ringo りんご (apple), and kōcha & komeko 紅茶&米粉 (black tea & rice flour).

Edamame means “immature soybeans” in Japanese, and they are green just like this box. Edamame for this madeleine are grown in Odate city where Hachikō was born! They use especially fresh ones for this.

Pay special attention to the Hachikō on the package. He has been designed with red cheeks and a tie on top of his head. It is well known in Japan that these are the symbols of a drunk office worker on his way home!

This is the package design for sakekasu mushi shokora flavor 酒粕蒸ショコラ (Sake steamed chocolate). Sakekasu 酒粕 means the lees left over from sake production. This flavor is really unique because sakekasu is usually used for soup with miso, Japanese pickles, and other savory foods, but not often for sweets.

Akita prefecture is famous for sake. The sakekasu used for this flavor of madeleines come from the award-winning sake produced by Kimura Shuzō, a sake brewery in Akita prefecture.

Iburigakko いぶりがっこ is smoked pickled Japanese white radish, and it is a well-known Akita specialty. Diced iburigakko is embedded in the cake. The salty iburigakko and the sweetness of financier go well together. This is really unique cake really invokes the image of Akita prefecture!

This package is for apple pound cake. The apple is grown in Akita prefecture and they use several species which are made especially for baking!

Akita prefecture is famous for delicious rice too. This cake is made with rice flour from Akita prefecture. It must be delicious!

More cute Hachikō items and delicious Akita-related food and drink are available there. This month is Hachikō’s birthday month. Why don’t you drop by the shop and support the faithful dog’s hometown through fun shopping!

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Information

• Shop: Hachiful SHIBUYA meets AKITA
• Address: 14 floor, Shibuya Scramble Square, 2-21-12, Shibuya, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
• Official Website
• Official Instagram