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Tourists cut line at Japan’s Hachiko statue, viral video draws anti-India comments
The individual recording the video claimed that while others waited for over 30 minutes at the Hachiko statue, a group skipped the queue and tried to go ahead.
A video showing three tourists skipping a queue to take a picture in front of Japan’s famous Hachiko statue has prompted severe backlash against Indians on social media. Though the nationalities of the tourists are unclear, many assumed they were of Indian descent and started posting comments like “Always Indians”.
The video was posted on Instagram by content creator Tokyo Munching, and since being shared, it has gone viral, with many reposting it across various social media platforms.
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“Right by Shibuya Crossing, I saw a massive line for the Hachikō Statue—people waiting 10, 20, even 30 minutes for a photo. Then a group started creeping up and photobombing everyone. Had to put my phone down and step in—if you want the shot, wait your turn like everyone else. Sometimes you’ve gotta call things out when they’re not right,” the individual who posted the video wrote.
What does the video show?
The video opens with a text insert that reads, “Do not be this type of tourist in Japan.” In the video, a group of three is standing in front of the iconic Hachiko statue, with many people waiting in line.
The individual who posted the video shared that he confronted the group and asked them to go to the back of the line to wait their turn.
What did social media say?
Though there was no mention of nationality, many assumed that the people shown in the video were Indians. The comments section of the viral video received several anti-India remarks.
An individual wrote, “As an Indian, I am ashamed. We are tired of this behaviour too.” Another added, “Always Indian.” A third expressed, “Always Indians cutting the line.”
A few, however, argued that it wasn’t right to record strangers. An individual commented, “I’d like to add something to this. Please be mindful that there are so many such people travelling internationally for the first time in their lives. I understand this is not right, but so many of these folks are just unaware of such norms. Try to be more empathetic. I don’t understand this new trend of just recording strangers and shunning them publicly. Imagine if these were your parents / family. Do we really need to publish everything online? Isn’t there enough hate in this world?”
Story behind the Hachiko statue:
The statue was built to honour a dog named Hachiko who waited for his master at a Japanese train station long after his death. Today, a bronze statue of the cream-white Akita Inu, which was born over 100 years ago, sits outside Shibuya Station in Tokyo.
Hachiko’s master, Ueno, and his wife, Yae, nursed and later adopted the dog when it appeared at their doorstep in 1924, clinging to life. Since then, he became Ueno’s companion and accompanied him to Shibuya station several times a week, along with his other dogs.
Hachiko’s bond with Ueno was formed in just 16 months, yet it lasted a lifetime. Even after Ueno’s passing, when he was taken in by the gardener Kikusaburo Kobayashi, Hachiko refused to abandon his daily commute to the station.
"In the evening, Hachi stood on four legs at the ticket gate and looked at each passenger as if he were looking for someone," wrote Hachiko's biographer, Professor Mayumi Itoh.
"In retrospect, I feel that he knew that Dr Ueno would not come back, but he kept waiting - Hachiko taught us the value of keeping faith in someone," Takeshi Okamoto, who used to see Hachiko when he was a schoolboy, later wrote in a newspaper article in 1982, cited the BBC.
Hachiko passed away on March 8, 1935. Over the years, the dog’s story has inspired several stories, poems, haiku, and even films - most notably Hachi: A Dog's Tale, starring Richard Gere.
