Yanaka Cemetery
Quiet Cherry Blossom Spot in the North of Tokyo
Yanaka Cemetery is a public space managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, located in Taito ward, in the north-est of the capital. Established on September 1rst, 1874, it is home to approximately 7,000 tombs, including the final resting places of historic and public figures, spread on a 10 hectares superficies. It offers a quiet walk, off the city’s hustle and bustle, protected in the beginning of spring by a canopy of blooming sakura flowers.
Spreading near the JR Nippori station near Ueno, Yanaka Cemetery welcomes the locals for a prayer at the family grave, as well as passersby. Far from being sad, the place offers an atmosphere similar to Tokyo’s other metropolitan cemeteries: a park-like setting marked by a nostalgia of the olden times’ lifestyle, a stone’s throw away from the lively districts of the capital.
Tenno-ji temple’s old tombs
Initially managed by Tenno-ji temple (天王寺), the cemetery was nationalized at the beginning of the Meiji era (1868 - 1912) and was given its current name in 1935. Tenno-ji belongs to the Tendai school of Buddhism, and its enclosure opened to the visit is characterized by a bronze statue of the original Buddha, Sakyamuni, sitting in the open-air.
With a 10 hectares superficies, it is home to about 7,000 graves spread into several spaces served by a central alley lined with beautiful sakura 🌸 trees, that bloom from late March to early April depending on the weather conditions. Yanaka Cemetery is thus best enjoyed in spring and in autumn 🍁 for its wonderful seasonal colors.
Amateurs of Japanese history and culture will find monuments to several public figures, such as:
- Artists: actor Hisaya Morishige (1913 - 2009) and Yokoyama Taikan (1868 - 1958), a painter of the Nihonga movement;
- Statesmen: Eiichi Shibusawa (1840 – 1931), whose portrait is now on the new ¥10,000 bill issued in summer 2024, Ichiro Hatoyama (1883 - 1959), a former Prime Minister;
- Scientists: medical doctor Kensai Ikeda (1841 - 1918) and botanist Tomitaro Makino (1862 - 1957); and,
- The last shogun of the Edo period (1603 - 1868): Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837 - 1913).
Remains of Kan'ei-ji temple and of the Tokugawa reign
Walking through the cemetery and especially in its south-eastern part, one can discover Jomyo-in (浄名院) and its lines of Jizo statues leading to Kan'ei-ji (寛永寺), that used to be the Tokugawa shogunate’s main temple. Initially located on the grounds of Ueno Park, the place of worship was destroyed and dismantled during the Meiji Restoration. However, a few pieces remain here in Yanaka, like:
- Konponchu-do pavilion (寛永寺 根本中堂); and,
- A large number of the Tokugawa’s graves, especially the Joken'in mausoleum, which constituted Kanei-ji’s cemetery.
Then, the path continues to the back of Ueno Park. A westbound walk starts from Yamaka Cemetery and Kan’ei-ji temple, going to Nezu station and its large Nezu-jinja shrine. On the way, several smaller places of worship, such as Daigyo-ji (大行寺), offer charming views during the cherry blossom season. Lastly Yanaka Ginza shopping street defines the area’s limit in the north.
Like its old-fashioned neighborhood recalling the atmosphere of Shitamachi, the former lower side of Edo, Yanaka public cemetery is a quiet area, allowing to leisurely walk around and learn more about Tokyo’s history, only disturbed by the occasional crows’ cries.