Aoyama Cemetery

Aoyama cemetery viewed from Roppongi Hills
Cherry trees of Aoyama Cemetery
View inside the cemetery
Foreign section.
Grave of Hidesaburō Ueno and monument to Hachikō (right stele).

Aoyama Cemetery (青山霊園 Aoyama reien) is a cemetery in Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The cemetery is also famous for its cherry blossoms, and at the season of hanami, many people visit.

History

The cemetery was originally the land of the Aoyama family of the Gujō clan (now Gujō, Gifu) in the province of Mino (now Gifu). This is Japan's first public cemetery, and Tokyo's only Foreigners' cemetery. [1]

The cemetery has an area of 263,564 m2.

Japanese Section

The Japanese section includes the graves of many notable Japanese, including:

Foreign Section

The cemetery includes a gaijin bochi (foreign cemetery), the only one in Tokyo. These are the graves of foreign experts who came to Japan at the end of the 19th century, as part of the Meiji Government's drive for modernisation. Although some of the graves were threatened with removal in 2005 due to unpaid annual fees, the Foreign Section was awarded special protection by the Governor of Tokyo in 2007. A plaque on the site recognises the men and women who contributed to Japan's modernization. [2]

Some of the noted foreigners buried here are:

Hachiko's Grave

One of the cemetery's most famous graves is that of Hachikō, the faithful and dutiful dog whose statue adorns Shibuya Station.

Tateyama Branch

The cemetery also has a Tateyama branch, where Nagata Tetsuzan, Kimura Heitarō, and Sagara Sōzō are buried.

See also

References

Coordinates: 35°39′58″N 139°43′20″E / 35.66605°N 139.72229°E / 35.66605; 139.72229

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