Aoyama Cemetery


lead=yes is a cemetery in Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The cemetery is known for its cherry blossoms and is popular during the season of.

History

The cemetery was originally the land of the Aoyama family of the Gujō clan in the province of Mino. Japan's first public cemetery was opened in 1874, and in the Meiji era was the main locations of foreigners' graves.
The cemetery has an area of 263,564 m2.

Japanese section

The Japanese section includes the graves of many notable Japanese, including:
The cemetery also has a Tateyama branch, where Nagata Tetsuzan, Kimura Heitarō, and Sagara Sōzō are buried.
The famous city pop singer Miki Matsubara is also buried in the cemetery, although the exact location remains currently undisclosed.

Grave of Hachikō

One of the cemetery's most famous graves is that of Hachikō, the faithful and dutiful dog whose statue adorns Shibuya Station. He was buried alongside his two owners, Hidesaburō Ueno and Yaeko Sakano.

Foreign section

The cemetery includes a gaikokujin bochi, one of the few such plots in Tokyo. Many of the graves are 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 in 2007. A plaque on the site recognises the men and women who contributed to Japan's modernization.
Some of the noted foreigners buried within the cemetery: