This is one of the few times where Shaggy and Scooby are willing to save the day from a villain, and the first time the two used actual weapons and engaged in battle face-to-face with the villain in the final showdown.
This is the first movie in which the Mystery Machine doesn't appear, though it was mentioned.
The story of Hachiko by the Shibuya Station, and the tale involving Murasama and Masamune, are actual legends of Japan.