Aoyama Cemetery – An Urban Oasis
Plan to visit the Aoyama Cemetery on your next trip to Tokyo. Believe it, or not, Tokyoites use this cemetery as a place to enjoy the cherry blossoms each spring and as a jogging or walking are year round. Aoyama Cemetery offers a beautiful park-like setting in the heart of Tokyo.
“Aoyama Cemetery, perhaps best described as an urban oasis, has been in existence for over 130 years. As one of the four city-owned cemeteries, it is the eternal resting place of over 120,000 graves, including many politicians, writers, Hachiko the famous loyal dog, and nearly 200 foreigners since the Meiji period.”
Source: Japan Now & Then, Aoyama Cemetery–Foreigner’s Graves in Danger
Aoyama Cemetery Access:
7-minute walk from Gaien Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. 10-minute walk from Nogizaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Subway Chiyoda Line. 10-minute walk from Aoyama 1-chome Station on the Tokyo Metro Subway Hanzomon Line or Toei Subway Oedo Line.
Visit the Cemetery Administration office near the Aoyama-dori entrance (Aoyama area map) to pick up a map of the cemetery and its once famous residents. Admission is free.
Image Credit: Flickr, Cemetery Road
2 Comments
i like japanese cemeteries. they are very well maintained and look very “clean”.
It is a great cemetery I used to jog through here almost everday. It’s really nice when the cherry blossoms leaves fall it’s like pink snow.