"Apriori.Art" to Hold Origami Art Exhibition Linking Shibuya & Akita on April 4-5 at Shibuya Scramble Square – Children's Senbazuru to Illuminate Hachiko in Shibuya

The creative group "Apriori.Art," active as the 93rd cohort of 100BANCH's GARAGE Program, will exhibit their participatory art project "Hachiko Statue 3.0 - Irei Matsuri" at "WE LOVE HACHI 2026 ~2 DAYS to Convey Love from Shibuya and Akita~," held at Shibuya Scramble Square's "Scene12" on April 4 (Sat.) and 5 (Sun.), 2026. This event is hosted by Akita Cable Television Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Akita City, Akita Prefecture), which is based in Hachiko's hometown of Akita Prefecture.

"Apriori.Art" is a creative group redefining origami from a children's pastime to an art form. In this project, they will connect Hachiko's hometown, Odate City in Akita Prefecture, with Shibuya, where Hachiko waited for his master, using "cranes of prayer." Children from Shibuya City and Odate City, Akita Prefecture, along with event visitors, will fold senbazuru (thousand paper cranes), which will then be incorporated into a life-sized wireframe embedded with LEDs to create a luminous, modern-day Hachiko statue on-site.

Additionally, "Apriori.Art's" Shibuya base, 100BANCH, will also exhibit reinterpretations of Hachiko by artists who have emerged from the program. Admission is free, and same-day participation is welcomed (no reservation required).

The completed artwork is scheduled to be donated and dedicated at the "91st Hachiko Memorial Ceremony" to be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

■ "Hachiko Statue 3.0 - Irei Matsuri" Exhibition Concept: Irei (慰霊 / 異例) – Memorial / Unusual Festival

The Hachiko statue was erected in Shibuya, a city where all cultures converge, in 1934 to honor Hachiko, the "loyal dog" who demonstrated unwavering devotion by waiting for his master even after his death.

Approximately a century has passed. Modern Shibuya continues to evolve into a place where creators with strong passion and creativity intersect, generating new values daily. How will the "Hachiko Statue," which has quietly watched over their creative activities as a good neighbor, reveal a "different form" when it intersects with the sensibilities of artists?

This exhibition is defined not merely as a memorial (mourning the departed) but as an "Irei Matsuri" (Unusual Festival). It aims to showcase the journey of creators and artists active mainly in Shibuya, how they interpreted the "Hachiko Statue," and the "different examples" they produced.

Through this exhibition and festival, we invite you to ponder what the "Hachiko Statue," your neighbor, and the "Scene" of Shibuya you are in now, look like from your perspective.

■ Project Background: Connecting Two "Hachiko Homelands"

Odate City in Akita Prefecture, where Hachiko was born, and the front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo, where he faithfully waited for his beloved master. This project connects these two locations, overlaying the "origami" of the sentiments of all people who have cherished Hachiko.

It embodies the wishes of those who cherished Hachiko, those who protected the Akita breed from extinction, and the desires of people worldwide who love Hachiko as a symbol of Shibuya today. Bearing in mind the history of the original Hachiko statue being lost due to metal confiscation during wartime, we redefine Hachiko through this "Hachiko Statue 3.0" as a "symbol of prayer and peace that will never be destroyed again."

■ "Cranes of Prayer" Take the Form of Hachiko

Origami cranes, folded with individual thoughts and feelings at partner facilities such as Odate Minami Elementary School and Akita Dog Museum in Odate City, Akita Prefecture, and Jinnan Elementary School and Shibuya 100BANCH in Shibuya City, are gathered in Shibuya. These cranes will take the form of a luminous Hachiko statue, brought to life towards the memorial ceremony on April 8.

On the event days, April 4 (Sat.) and 5 (Sun.), visitors to Shibuya Scramble Square can also participate in this creation. Each crane folded by an individual becomes a "foundation of peace" for Hachiko to remain in this place for the next 100 years.

The completed "Hachiko Statue 3.0" will be dedicated at the memorial ceremony in Shibuya on April 8, then travel to a memorial ceremony in Hachiko's birthplace, Odate City, Akita Prefecture, on May 8. Afterwards, it is planned for permanent display at the Akita Dog Museum.

Origin of the name "Hachiko Statue 3.0": The current Hachiko statue in front of Shibuya Station is not the original. After the first statue was removed and melted down in 1944 due to the Metal Collection Order during wartime, a "second generation" statue was rebuilt in 1948. "Hachiko Statue 3.0" is named in reverence to the beloved Hachiko statue that has transcended generations.

*This is a completed image created with Adobe Firefly Generative AI.

■ "Hachiko Statue 3.0 - Irei Matsuri" Exhibition and Event Details

The following content will be presented at the venue, Shibuya Scramble Square 12F.

### 1. Participatory Art Creation "Hachiko Statue 3.0"

A senbazuru Hachiko statue made from thousand paper cranes, each imbued with the participants' thoughts. The origami used is primarily from the long-established Kyoto paper maker, Shogado. This artwork fuses the texture of traditional Japanese paper with internal LED lights and a metal wireframe, representing the intersection of tradition and innovation.

On event days, visitors can also participate in the creation using origami cranes. A free origami workshop is also available, enjoyable for both children and adults.

### 2. Apriori.Art Origami Art Exhibition

**Apriori.Art - Hiroshi Kano x Kotaro Ikuta**

Origami works of Hachiko and deer, and giant origami pieces that shift between two and three dimensions, all folded from a single sheet of paper.

Profile:

**"Folding Tradition and Future: The Creation of Contemporary Origami"**

A creative group redefining origami from "play" to "contemporary art." They fuse traditional folding structures with new techniques and materials, producing exhibitions and experiences domestically and internationally. Aiming to create an origami industry as a culture to be proud of for the next 100 years, they broadcast its value to the world.

### 3. Exhibition by Artists Based in Shibuya "Hachiko × Shibuya × 100BANCH"

100BANCH, an experimental district for enriching the world 100 years from now, established in Shibuya in 2017 by Panasonic Holdings and others. In this area, emerging creators active at 100BANCH will participate, exhibiting art pieces that reinterpret "Hachiko" and "Akita Dog" using diverse materials and techniques.

**Ryuto Kawamata × Yoshida Casting Co., Ltd.**

Three-dimensional works recreating origami pieces using metal casting technology.

Profile:

**"Casting Innovation: Transforming Anything into Metal"**

A project by Japan's oldest casting machinery manufacturer that fuses traditional techniques with contemporary design. Inheriting the "block mold method" that has continued since the Nara period, it transforms any object into metal. Using techniques that faithfully capture the texture of the original, it elevates everyday incongruities into sophisticated experiences.

**SHEER**

Abstract paintings inspired by the history of Akita dogs and experiences traveling to Odate City, Akita Prefecture.

Profile:

**"Visualizing the Unseen 'Feelings' Through Color and Words"**

An artist who visualizes deep human psychology and ambiguous "feelings" through color and words. A graduate of Keio SFC. Also active as a musician, she gains attention for her unique live performance style, combining drawing with improvised rap. She creates multi-layered artworks that harmonize with space, existing between abstraction and figuration.

**■ 47 WAZA ARTs - SAKURA**

Works featuring Hachiko using dyeing techniques.

Profile:

**"Reconstruction of Culture: Where Daily Life and Tradition Intersect." A collective of creators based in Shibuya Ward.**

Based in Shibuya, they reconstruct Japanese traditional and local culture with a contemporary sensibility. Using traditional materials like paper clay and Japanese paper, they present the spirituality inherent in Japanese motifs as objects open to daily life. They connect the context of Shibuya city and tradition, broadcasting new perspectives on culture to the world.

**■ Next1Dogs Project - Aoi Aiba**

Panel works depicting four Akita dogs, including Hachiko.

Profile:

**"Designing Coexistence Between Dogs and Humans Through Planning and Creativity"**

A "dog planner" who connects dogs, owners, and society through creativity. Leveraging extensive knowledge of dog breeds, she engages in expressive activities, with the concept "I want to hug a dog from the furthest distance." Through planning and design, she challenges the social implementation of a future where dogs and humans can coexist better.

**■ FoldingArts - SHEER × Hiro Kano**

"Folded Paintings" created based on inspiration from a trip to Odate City.

Profile:

**"Exploring Multi-layered 'Tactility' Transcending the Digital"**

An art unit where contemporary artist SHEER's abstract paintings are completed by origami artist Hiro Kano "folding" them. They pursue the physical "tactility" and unpredictable "chance" that exist outside the 0s and 1s of the digital world. They encapsulate the complex human emotions that overlap over time within layers of color and folds.