The Other Hachiko
The Other Hachiko
Overview
In this episode of Only in Japan Go, John Daub travels to Odate in Akita Prefecture, the birthplace of the famous Akita Inu dog, Hachiko. While most tourists know the Hachiko statue in busy Shibuya, Tokyo, John visits the original statue located just outside JR Odate Station. He highlights the stark contrast between the bustling capital and this quiet, off-the-grid northern town, where train schedules are sparse and the streets are windy but peaceful.
John shares updates on his ongoing hitchhiking journey across northern Japan, detailing his recent stays in Hakodate and Oga Hanto, where he encountered the fearsome namahage (demonic ogres). He outlines his upcoming route through Hirosaki and Hokkaido, aiming to reach Wakkanai by late April. Along the way, he provides a Kickstarter update, explaining his stretch goals and motivation to continue filming despite the challenges of the road.
The video serves as both a travel guide to Odate and a personal log of John's adventures. He showcases the local Hachiko Bus, the snow measurement poles used in winter, and the quiet atmosphere of the station. For travelers seeking a more authentic experience away from Tokyo's crowds, John recommends stopping in Odate to pay respects at Hachiko's home statue before continuing north.
Highlights
- 00:04 John introduces Odate, Akita Prefecture, and the purpose of his visit.
- 00:04 Reveals the "other" Hachiko statue outside Odate Station.
- 03:17 Compares the quiet Odate Station to busy Shibuya.
- 05:33 Shows the sparse train schedule at Odate Station.
- 07:25 Mentions previous visit to Oga Hanto and the namahage (demonic ogres).
- 09:29 Updates on hitchhiking route to Hirosaki and Hokkaido.
- 10:43 Kickstarter stretch goal announcement and motivation from Toby (crow).
- 11:58 Plans to find new experiences in Hokkaido not done on previous trips.
- 13:10 Details on accommodation at Royal Odate Hotel.
- 14:22 Spots the local Hachiko Bus arriving at the station.
- 14:22 Explains the red pole used for measuring snow levels in winter.
- 15:48 Final call to subscribe and support the channel on Patreon.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:04 Introduction to Odate and the Hachiko Statue
- 03:17 Odate Station vs. Shibuya Comparison
- 05:33 Train Schedule and Station Atmosphere
- 07:25 Recap of Akita Travels (Oga Hanto)
- 09:29 Hitchhiking Plans to Hirosaki and Hokkaido
- 10:43 Kickstarter Update and Toby the Crow
- 11:58 Hokkaido Travel Goals and Food
- 13:10 Hotel Recommendation and Statue Details
- 14:22 Hachiko Bus and Snow Poles
- 15:48 Closing and Channel Support
Japan Travel Tips
- Visit Odate for Hachiko: If you are a fan of Hachiko, visit the statue in Odate for a quieter, more authentic experience than Shibuya.
- Train Frequency: Be aware that rural stations like Odate have very few trains (around 15 per day); plan your schedule carefully.
- Accommodation: The Royal Odate Hotel is a viable option near the station, costing around 5,000 yen per night with breakfast.
- Hitchhiking: John successfully hitchhikes from Akita to Hirosaki (approx. 80km); Interchanges are good spots to catch rides.
- Winter Gear: Red poles outside the station measure snow levels; winter visitors should prepare for heavy snow.
- Hokkaido Route: Consider stopping in Noboribetsu for onsen and Wakkanai for seafood (especially scallops) when traveling north.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Akita Inu: The breed of dog Hachiko was; originating from Akita Prefecture. They are loyal and iconic in Japan.
- Hachiko: The famous loyal dog who waited for his owner at Shibuya Station; born in Odate.
- Namahage: Demonic ogres from Oga Hanto tradition; John mentions encountering them recently.
- Onsen: Japanese hot springs; John plans to visit one in Noboribetsu.
- Hotate: Scallops; John recalls eating 20 massive scallops for 500 yen in Wakkanai during a previous trip.
Food & Drink Guide
- Hotate (Scallops)
- Description: Massive fresh scallops.
- Where: Wakkanai (mentioned as past experience).
- Price: 20 scallops for 500 yen (historical price from 14 years ago).
- John's Reaction: Recalls them as awesome seafood; notes signs in Russian due to proximity to Russia.
People
- John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. He is hitchhiking through northern Japan, documenting his journey and sharing travel tips.
- Toby (crow): A specific crow John has named and interacts with during his livestreams; John jokes that he must continue his journey for Toby's sake.
Key Takeaways
- Odate is the birthplace of Hachiko and features the original statue, which is less crowded than the Shibuya counterpart.
- Rural Japan offers a vastly different pace of life compared to Tokyo, with fewer trains and fewer tourists.
- Hitchhiking remains a viable way to travel between northern cities like Akita, Hirosaki, and Hokkaido.
- Supporting independent creators via Kickstarter and Patreon helps sustain long-term travel documentation.
Notable Quotes
- 00:04 "Greetings from Odate here in Akita Prefecture. I've come here for one thing in particular, just outside the station."
- 03:17 "Odate is really off the grid—compare Shibuya versus Odate."
- 05:33 "At 9 o'clock, there's no train at all. This is crazy."
- 07:25 "I love the Akita Inu. In fact, this is Akita Prefecture, and right here is Odate—famous for Hachiko."
- 10:43 "I'm afraid of Toby (crow)—Toby might get angry, so I have to keep going for Toby."
- 11:58 "I want to find at least one thing in Hokkaido I haven't done or seen before, or food I haven't eaten."
- 13:10 "If you're visiting Japan, definitely check out this Hachiko."
- 14:22 "This is more authentic; this is Hachiko's birthplace."
- 15:48 "Subscribe to the Only in Japan Go channel if you haven't— a lot of people subscribe to one and don't realize."
Related Topics
- Hachiko Story and History
- Hitchhiking in Japan
- Akita Prefecture Travel Guide
- Hokkaido Road Trip
- Only in Japan Go Kickstarter Campaign
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #odate #akita #hachiko #japan-travel #hitchhiking #akita-inu #hirosaki #hokkaido #shibuya #spring-travel #onsen #seafood #rural-japan #john-daub
Full Transcript
00:04 John Daub: Greetings from Odate here in Akita Prefecture. I've come here for one thing in particular, just outside the station. It's a really windy day. I hitchhiked here yesterday from a place just outside Akita City, got here about 7pm, and I've been filming for about 30 minutes. It's so cool. There's not a lot here in Odate to see, but this is one of the most famous things. First, there's almost nobody here. This is the other Hachiko statue—there's one in Shibuya that's really famous. This is the second one, and they were both made about the same time. Hachiko Station is right in front of Odate Station.
03:17 John Daub: It's a statue dedicated to the Akita Inu dog, which is what Hachiko was. For this area of Japan, this statue is behind the Hachiko statue in front of Odate Station. Odate is really off the grid—compare Shibuya versus Odate. If you go back into Odate Station, I think there's about 15 trains a day. Looking back, there's a lot of similarities between the two in that sense. You can see JR Odate. Beautiful sunny day, but the wind is a lot. There are my bags. In about 10 minutes, I'm walking over to the interchange to try to get a ride to Hirosaki.
05:33 John Daub: Here's the train schedule at Odate Station—what a contrast to Tokyo. At 9 o'clock, there's no train at all. This is crazy. At 7 o'clock, no train. You can see there are very few trains coming to this station in Akita. Sometimes there's not even any staff—it's just empty. The train line here is very simple. There's Odate, and not that many lines. If you compare it with Tokyo, it's a completely different world. Off the beaten track here. Hachiko is really important to this city—you can see Hachiko on posters and inside the waiting room.
07:25 John Daub: I'm now at JR Odate Station. So cute, aren't they? I love the Akita Inu. In fact, this is Akita Prefecture, and right here is Odate—famous for Hachiko. I was here a couple days ago, then went to Oga Hanto yesterday. They have namahage (demonic ogres)—some scary dudes. Those aren't masks, but they were pretty creepy. Saw a lot of them. That's the view outside the station. There's my bags, the Hachiko statue, and not much activity except construction behind there. Sometimes a few tourists come—about 30 minutes ago there was a group; they took a picture and left. Not many hotels here either.
09:29 John Daub: The wind has really blown me away here, but so far it's been a pretty good trip. I stayed at a hotel nearby to charge all my batteries—I'd been tent camping the night before, and two nights ago I was in Hakodate at the people's house who picked me up. They let me stay, which was great. Now I'm in Odate and going to the interchange to hitchhike to Hirosaki—it's not that far, about 80km. It's about 11am, so I think I can get there before 5pm. That's my goal. I want to check the cherry blossoms and stay in Hirosaki for a while before moving on to Hokkaido—my goal is to be there by the 27th. Hakodate is actually the end of the trip.
10:43 John Daub: I have an announcement: because the Kickstarter has been going so well, people have been asking for a stretch goal. For me, that means I have to keep going. Do I want to? Not really. But I'm afraid of Toby (crow)—Toby might get angry, so I have to keep going for Toby. If you watched yesterday's stream, you know who Toby is—he's a nice guy; we had fun with him. I'm going to spend a couple days in Hirosaki, look at cherry blossoms, take it easy, then go up to Hokkaido and charge forward to Wakkanai. That means through Sapporo, Noboribetsu (onsen town), Asahikawa, and Wakkanai. If there's a place to stop on the way, great.
11:58 John Daub: I want to find at least one thing in Hokkaido I haven't done or seen before, or food I haven't eaten. Something completely new and unexpected—or else what's the point? I hitchhiked this route 14 years ago and don't want to do exactly the same thing. I stopped in Noboribetsu but didn't go into the bath, so that's one thing I want to do. There's unique onsen up north near Wakkanai, and islands off Wakkanai—not Russia, though you can see it from there. Awesome seafood—I ate 20 massive hotate (scallops) for 500 yen there 14 years ago. The signs were in Russian too; second language isn't English, it's Russian.
13:10 John Daub: Here's Odate Station. Oh man, it's 11:30—I've got to go. But I wanted to stop here and bring you to the other Hachiko. If you're visiting Japan, definitely check out this Hachiko—I've been getting pictures from people sending me Hachiko photos. I like how he's got a leash. I stayed at the Royal Odate Hotel just over there—5,000 yen a night with a pretty good breakfast. I'm in Hachiko's 'hood—not a lot of people, but a pretty good experience. If you come to Akita, stop at Odate just to check out Hachiko.
14:22 John Daub: All right, everybody—have a great day wherever you are in the world. I'm hitting the road right now to start hitchhiking; not live broadcasting it this time. But look at this Hachiko bus coming in—pretty cool. Shibuya has one too, but this is more authentic; this is Hachiko's birthplace. How cute is that? All the people are looking. This red pole measures snow level—they get a lot here in winter. Welcome to this Hachiko episode in Odate.
15:48 John Daub: I'm back on the road right now. Subscribe to the Only in Japan Go channel if you haven't— a lot of people subscribe to one and don't realize. If you're interested in high-def pictures, buy the DVD on Kickstarter—only one more week. Thank you so much for supporting on Patreon. No one's going to pick up Ultraman. See you on the road. Bye-bye, everyone.