"Shibuya, Hare and Ke" is a photo gallery that captures the everyday and extraordinary aspects of Shibuya through photographs. The theme this time is "Hachi, Hachi, Hachi: Shibuya on August 8th, 2026." August 8th, 2026. A slightly special day with three "8"s in a row. From 8:08 AM to 8:08 PM, wander through Shibuya in search of the "8"s hidden all over the city.

What I encountered there was the "hare" of a special day, and the "ke" of everyday life that flows by as usual right beside it. I wanted to capture the fleeting expression of Shibuya for just one day in photographs.

The journey in pursuit of the number "8" begins at Hachiko Square.

It was a little after 8 a.m.
In front of the statue of Hachiko, the loyal dog, the number of people meeting up and foreign tourists taking commemorative photos was gradually increasing.

The time is 8:08:08 on August 8, 2026.

A familiar morning scene in Shibuya.
But on this particular day, even the sound of the word "Hachi" (bee) seemed a little different than usual.

Search for the fragments of the number "8" scattered throughout the city.

If you shift your perspective slightly, you'll find that there are surprisingly many "8"s hidden throughout the city.

Shibuya Station Exit A8

Left) "8/" on the 8th floor of Shibuya Hikarie. This is the former location of the Tokyu Culture Hall planetarium, which once projected all 88 constellations. Right) Bus stop number 8 inside Shibuya Fukuras.

Left) The "88" bus bound for Shimbashi Station. Right) The sign for "August Whale," a long-established bar in Center Gai.

Left) "8-8-8 (clap, clap, clap)". Looks like lots of balls are coming out. Right) The figure-eight bread from "Green Thumb" in Sakuragaoka-cho.

Left) The "8" at Shibuya Sakura Stage's bustling plaza... or is it an "S"? Right) Hachiko at Miyashita Park is also inside the number "8" made up of two rings of different sizes.

Even the streetlights on Park Street have the number "8" on them...

Numbers that I would normally pass by without paying any attention strangely caught my eye that day.

Once you find one "8," you'll want to look for the next one.
As I walked through the city, the familiar Shibuya began to show a slightly different side.

The highest temperature in Shibuya is 33℃. I don't think it will reach 38℃. If only the J.League season started on August 8th... I can't help but want to connect everything to the number "8".

On this day, the strong summer sun shone down on the city.

White parasols are a common sight among the people crossing the scramble crossing.
Every time the traffic light changes, a crowd of umbrellas crosses the intersection.

If you look up, you'll see the number "88" on the large screen as well.
This is a bit of a miracle.

The entire town seemed to be celebrating this day.

The face of Shibuya as it faces its "last summer"

While Shibuya is experiencing a festive atmosphere, there are also places that are quietly approaching a turning point.

Seibu Shibuya Store opened in 1968 (Showa 43).
On September 30, 2026, it will close its doors after 58 years of history.

A countdown to the closing date has begun at the store.

On this day, the building served as one of the main venues for "HACHI-8 PROJECT 2026," an urban culture project themed around Hachiko, a symbol of Shibuya. The building displayed works by eight curators and 88 artists.

The "HACHI-8 PROJECT 2026" venue inside Seibu Shibuya store.

On a day when the number "8" is repeated, art related to "Hachiko" will adorn the Seibu Shibuya store.

The vibrant festive scenery, followed by the inevitable closing time.
There, I saw a side of Shibuya that could only be seen in the summer of 2026.

The trip concludes with a Bon Odori dance.

As the sun begins to set, a different kind of energy permeates the area in front of Shibuya Station.

A watchtower (yagura) is erected with SHIBUYA109 in the background.
A string of lanterns.
People dancing in yukata (summer kimono).
Foreign tourists join the group and try to imitate the movements.

A large circle of dancers spreads across Dogenzaka and Bunkamura Street, which are usually bustling with cars.

It's similar to the usual hustle and bustle, yet somehow different. The lights of neon signs and large screens mingle with the soft glow of lanterns, creating a one-night-only extraordinary atmosphere in Shibuya during the height of summer.

Our journey centered around the number "8," which began at 8:08 AM, is almost over.

The last place we went to was, once again, Hachiko Square.
Even at night, a line of people waiting to take commemorative photos continues in front of the Hachiko statue.

Perhaps because I spent the whole day walking around looking for the number "8," by the end, everything in the city started to look like the number "8."

A day obsessed with the number "8," and exhausted from taking photos (lol).

August 8, 2020, 8:08 p.m.
The final destination of my journey was, as expected, "bees."

Interview and writing: Takashi Fujii / Photography: Osamu Matsuba

Photographer

Osamu Matsuba

1972 Born in Tokyo, grew up in Inokashira wayside. Japan Advertising Photographers' Association full member Tokyu Hands and cultural village favorite. I would like to express in the photograph in the future of Shibuya of transition.