http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201511170003
Hachiko, the faithful Akita dog immortalized in a bronze statue in front of Tokyo's JR Shibuya Station, now has a companion: a live cat
After a while, a man wearing a black T-shirt approached the cat and picked it up in front of puzzled onlookers. He then walked off with it toward a subway entrance at the busy rail hub.
The man, 67, said the cat, a 5-year-old male, is one of about 30 felines he keeps at his home in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. A huge cat lover since childhood, the man said his collection includes some he has taken in from his neighbors.
In June, the retiree from a Tokyo publishing company began traveling to Shibuya about four times a month, taking one of his cats in a carrier with him. He lets the cat stay at the foot of the statue for about an hour.
“I would like my cat to give comfort to people,” he said, explaining his motivation. “If foreign tourists take pictures of my cat with the statue and post them online, then people who see them may feel like visiting Japan.
Although his efforts to console others have apparently achieved the intended effect, the man's unusual behavior has drawn criticism on the Internet.
Some people posted comments expressing concern about the cat spending so much time in a crowded public space, while others called it outright “animal abuse.”
“I am aware of criticism, but it is only expected that there are pros and cons,” he said. “If there are people who find comfort in the presence of my cat, I would like to continue to bring one.”