A beloved fixture of Shibuya is settling into a permanent new home, and its creator is marking the occasion with a solo exhibition nearby. Since August 18, 2026, the one-of-a-kind sculpture Shibuya Neko Hariko (affectionately nicknamed "Shibuneko"), created by artist Akira Yoshida, has been on permanent display at shibuya-san, the tourist information center on the first floor of Shibuya Fukuras.
Meanwhile, from September 7 (Monday) to September 13 (Sunday), 2026, Yoshida is holding a solo exhibition titled "Empty Bears - A Mirror of Our Time" at 8/CUBE in Shibuya Hikarie, presented by Yukari Art, a Tokyo-based agency that manages contemporary artists and organizes exhibitions. The show introduces around 30 new works from Yoshida's bear-motif series "Empty Bears."
The Lucky Cat Bringing New Fortune to Shibuya
Standing about 130 cm tall, this large maneki-neko (beckoning cat) known as Shibuya Neko Hariko was first unveiled in April 2020.
Commissioned by a commercial facility in Shibuya, the sculpture was created and installed in the spirit of the area's beloved Hachiko statue, with hopes that it, too, would be cherished by people for years to come.
Shibuneko later went through an unexpected turn of events: its lucky red-and-white coloring was altered so that its entire body was changed to solid black.
The change prompted concern from people across Japan, with many calling for the cat to be restored to its original appearance and voicing support for Yoshida.
Moved by the warmth of these responses, Yoshida spent seven months restoring the sculpture, and Shibuneko has since regained its original, endearing look.
Having overcome this setback, Shibuya Neko Hariko now carries a new story as both a bringer of good fortune and a symbol of renewal.
A New Home at Shibuya Fukuras
Shibuya Neko Hariko's new display location is Shibuya Fukuras. The building's name, based on the Japanese word for "to expand" (fukurasu), reflects a wish to expand the happiness of everyone who visits Shibuya.
Shibuneko is now permanently displayed at shibuya-san, the tourist information center on the first floor of Shibuya Fukuras, positioned to look out over the Shibuya Station West Exit Bus Terminal just outside.
While shibuya-san is open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, the sculpture can also be viewed through the glass outside of business hours. The location offers convenient access, just a short walk from Shibuya Station and directly across from the West Exit Bus Terminal, which also serves airport limousine buses.
Display Overview
Work: Shibuya Neko Hariko (nickname: Shibuneko)
Display start: Permanently on display from August 18, 2026 (Tuesday)
Location: shibuya-san (Shibuya Fukuras, 1F)
Hours: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (viewable through the glass outside business hours)
Address: Shibuya Fukuras 1F, 1-2-3 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0043
Access:
- About 1 minute on foot from the South Ticket Gate West Exit of Shibuya Station (JR Yamanote Line, Saikyo Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line)
- About 3 minutes on foot from Shibuya Station (Tokyu Toyoko Line, Den-en-toshi Line, Keio Inokashira Line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Ginza Line, Fukutoshin Line)
Shibuya Fukuras official website: https://www.shibuya-fukuras.jp
shibuya-san official website: https://shibuya-san.co.jp
Shibuya Neko Hariko official website: https://shibuyanekohariko.jp
Shibuneko's Creator Akira Yoshida Holds "Empty Bears" Exhibition at Shibuya Hikarie
Akira Yoshida, the artist behind Shibuya Neko Hariko, has created numerous sculptural works using a distinctive technique: painting the surface of hollow objects made of resin.
The surfaces of his pieces, with their charming forms and intricate coloring, depict a wide range of scenes surrounding us, from social issues to cityscapes.
Yoshida does not directly state his own thoughts or opinions through his work. In contrast to their beautiful exteriors, the hollow interiors of the pieces hint at the fragility of contemporary society, while the colors and imagery on their surfaces quietly depict the world as captured by his own sensibility. Their meaning and interpretation are left to each viewer, who is free to engage with the works from their own perspective.
This exhibition presents around 30 new works from "Empty Bears," a new series that takes bears as its motif.
Exhibition Overview
Exhibition: Empty Bears - A Mirror of Our Time
Artist: Akira Yoshida
Dates: September 7 (Monday) to September 13 (Sunday), 2026
Venue: 8/CUBE, Shibuya Hikarie
Hours: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, open every day during the exhibition
Admission: Free
Address: Shibuya Hikarie 8F, 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8510
About the Artist: Akira Yoshida
Akira Yoshida
Born in 1976 in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Fine Arts program at Tama Art University in 2002.
Yoshida primarily creates three-dimensional works by airbrush-painting hollow objects made of materials such as FRP. His public art includes installations inside Hong Kong subway stations, Shibuya Neko Hariko on the first floor of Shibuya Fukuras, and Takara Neko at the Nishi-Ginza Chance Center.
Akira Yoshida official profile page: https://yukari-art.jp/jp/artists/akira-yoshida
Encountering Akira Yoshida's Work in Shibuya
Shibuya Neko Hariko, the lucky cat that welcomes and watches over visitors to Shibuya, and "Empty Bears," a new series of works with a bear motif, offer two very different ways to encounter Yoshida's artistic world: a single large, one-of-a-kind lucky cat, and around 30 small, futuristic-looking bears.
Visitors to Shibuya can look forward to discovering these works, along with a bit of happiness and new inspiration along the way.
