polar bear

Twitter was set ablaze last night after dozens of people shared photos of “a beautiful foreigner walking a polar bear” between throngs of pedestrians at the world-famous Shibuya Scramble crossing in Tokyo.

Join us after the jump to see a video captured by an onlooker and learn more about the group to which this mysterious bear-keeping stranger apparently belongs.

The thigh-high-sporting blonde was seen wordlessly leading a realistic-looking polar bear between crowds of people in Shibuya yesterday evening as a pair of masked men ensured she had a clear path. Onlookers whipped out their mobile phones to snap the sight before them, many understandably wearing expressions of intrigue and caution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d6upj7huT8

As you might expect, people immediately took to their phones and keyboards to share the images and ask what on earth was going on.

▼ “There’s someone taking a polar bear for a walk in Shibuya LOL.”

A number of theories were offered up online about the strange spectacle, with some wondering whether this could all be a publicity stunt for pop sensation Lady Gaga. What seemed to be on most people’s minds, however, was the tiny issue of whether it was, in fact, a real bear:

“Wait, is there a person inside it??”
“It has a zip on its belly, right?”
“A bear? Seriously, a real bear?”
“Is that a real bear???”
“That’s not real. That’s not real, right? Right?”
“That’s… a bear!”

So what exactly is going on here? While neither the woman and her furry pal offered any explanations at the time, eagle-eyed netizens noted that both she and the men accompanying her were wearing t-shirts with “LALSH” printed on them; a name which turns out to belong to an as-yet unspecified group from Russia. The group is listed on Facebook simply as an “organization”, and, along with a handful of photos of their strolls with the giant white bear, promises some sort of reveal in Shinjuku at the end of this month.

▼ You have my attention…

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According to previous posts on the group’s page, it would seem that the polar bear’s name is actually Hachiko, which is perhaps why his owners decided to hit Shibuya first.

▼ “Wait for me, Japan!”

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We’ll have more on the group and this unusual story as it becomes clear. Whether LALSH turns out to be a cosmetics company, an animal rights group, or just a bunch of dudes selling the best darn ice cream ever, we have to admit they know how to turn heads!

Feature image via YouTube – Yutaka Tsuda
Insert images via LALSH on Facebook