Shibuya's famous Hachiko dog statue stolen

According to the Japan Times, a group of men, caught on CCTV, were disguised as cleaning crew, and covered the statue in a blue vinyl sheeting before taking off with one of Tokyo's most famous landmarks in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The statue they stole, is the 'loyal dog Hachiko', a famous meeting point near Shibuya JR station in Western Tokyo.

"...While motives for the theft are uncertain, speculation has focused on the soaring prices for copper and other metals, spurred by the construction boom in China leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The National Police Agency has reported 5,701 metal thefts in 2006, with losses valued at 2 billion yen. I fear Hachiko might be on his way to China," he added."

Teenagers refuse to let this spoil the mood of the area, and vow to continue meeting here until the statue is found.