What are the Japanese Internet Slangs “Hato” and “Densho-bato”?

In Japanese internet culture, “Hato” (鳩, meaning pigeon) refers to a person who carries information about someone’s statements, actions, or events to another person, or the act itself.

This slang is a shortened form of “Densho-bato” (伝書鳩), which refers to carrier pigeons or homing pigeons used in ancient times to deliver messages over long distances. “Densho” means delivering a message or book, and “Hato” is the bird, pigeon. Sometimes, people use the full term “Densho-bato” as slang as well.

Because of this origin, expressions like “flying a Hato” (sending a message) or “a Hato flew in” (received a message) are commonly used.

This term is frequently used in the communities of Japanese streaming services like Nico Nico Douga and TwitCasting, as well as YouTube Live, VTubers (Virtual YouTubers), and SNS platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. Typically, listeners of famous streamers or followers of influencers become the “Hato.”

For example, if famous Streamer B says during a broadcast, “I hate Streamer A,” a viewer who heard this will go to Streamer A’s broadcast and report, “B said they hate you.” This is the typical flow of a “Hato” action.

The term “Hato” is mainly used for relaying events that happened in real-time or within a few days. It is rarely used for information that is several days old or from the distant past.

Here are common expressions and usage of Hato:

• “I heard it from a Hato.”
• “I don’t need any more information from Hato.”
• “Stop flying Hato (stop snitching/reporting).”
• “Another Hato arrived.”
• “I want to know various things, so send more Hato.”

More often than not, people act as Hato with the intention of causing trouble or exaggerating things for dramatic effect. Therefore, many streamers and their viewers consider this “unnecessary information” and tend to dislike it. However, there are also “good Hato” who deliver positive messages, such as “Someone said you are cute” or “Someone said you are handsome.”

While it has been used for a long time on famous Japanese internet forums like 2ch (now 5ch) and Nico Nico Douga, it was not commonly used by the general public. However, with the emergence of many internet celebrities, it has been seen frequently since around 2020.

As of 2026, while it is still not well-known among people who do not use the internet frequently, it has become a somewhat recognized term among those who heavily use YouTube and X.

A “Hato” that delivers false information is called an “Uso-hato.” For more details, please see the Explanation of Uso-hato.