Zoshigaya cemetery
Encyclopedia
is a public cemetery in Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, founded by the Tokyo
Metropolitan government.
The cemetery welcomes people from any religion and contains the graves of many famous people in its 10 ha
area. It is taken care of by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association.
of Meiji
, which prohibited burial in the central part of Tokyo and cremation
in 1873 and designated 9 sites for new public graveyards in 1874. The local government of Tokyo prefecture established 6 cemeteries including Zōshigaya. Its construction and administration works were entrusted to the Tokyo Chamber (the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry of today). In 1876, the administration works of the cemetery were taken into care by the Tokyo prefecture, and then by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association since 1985.
The name of the cemetery at first was ; Zōshigaya-Asahidechō was the name of the town in which it was located. It was changed to the current name of in 1935.
(1914).
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
Metropolitan government.
The cemetery welcomes people from any religion and contains the graves of many famous people in its 10 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
area. It is taken care of by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association.
History
Zōshigaya Cemetery was founded by the local government of Tokyo Prefecture in 1874 as a public graveyard following the policy of the new governmentGovernment of Meiji Japan
The Government of Meiji Japan was the government which was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain, Chōshū Domain and Tenno. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan....
of Meiji
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, which prohibited burial in the central part of Tokyo and cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
in 1873 and designated 9 sites for new public graveyards in 1874. The local government of Tokyo prefecture established 6 cemeteries including Zōshigaya. Its construction and administration works were entrusted to the Tokyo Chamber (the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry of today). In 1876, the administration works of the cemetery were taken into care by the Tokyo prefecture, and then by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association since 1985.
The name of the cemetery at first was ; Zōshigaya-Asahidechō was the name of the town in which it was located. It was changed to the current name of in 1935.
Burials
Among those interred here are:- Ryūnosuke AkutagawaRyunosuke Akutagawawas a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "Father of the Japanese short story". He committed suicide at age of 35 through an overdose of barbital.-Early life:...
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genre - Lafcadio HearnLafcadio HearnPatrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
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plays - Kaita Murayama - Japanese writer and painter
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of the late MeijiMeiji periodThe , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, TaishōTaisho periodThe , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
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s - Narushima RyūhokuNarushima RyuhokuNarushima Ryūhoku was a Japanese author and scholar who lived from 1837-1884. He was born in Asakusa, and his given name was Korehiro . The Narushima family were okujusha , or Confucian tutors to the Tokugawa shoguns, who were also involved the editing of Tokugawa jikki Narushima Ryūhoku (成島柳北)...
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, best known as a pioneer of science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities... - Yumeji Takehisa - Japanese poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
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(IJA), the leader of the Taisei YokusankaiTaisei YokusankaiThe was Japan's para-fascist organization created by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe on October 12, 1940 to promote the goals of his Shintaisei movement...
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-RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n teacher of philosophy at the Tokyo Imperial University
Zōshigaya Cemetery in Literature
Before Natsume Sōseki himself was buried in Zōshigaya Cemetery, he selected the cemetery as the final resting place for the friend of the Sensei in the novel KokoroKokoro
is a novel by the Japanese author Natsume Sōseki. It was first published in 1914 in serial form in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shinbun. While the title literally means "heart", the word contains shades of meaning, and can be translated as "the heart of things" or "feeling"...
(1914).
External links
- Zōshigaya Cemetery (Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association