🪦 Oyama Cemetery – Resting Place of Legends
⛩️ What is Oyama Cemetery?
Located on the former grounds of Tokai-ji Temple, Oyama Cemetery is a nationally designated historic site housing the graves of some of Japan’s most influential figures from the Edo to Showa periods. This tranquil resting ground is rich with historical resonance and spiritual gravity.
🧑🎓 Notable Graves at Oyama Cemetery
These individuals helped shape the cultural, scientific, and spiritual landscape of Japan. Their legacies remain embedded in the soil of Oyama Cemetery.
🧘 Takuan Sōhō 沢庵和尚
Zen monk, calligrapher, tea master, and mentor to legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Takuan opposed shogunal interference in temple affairs, leading to his exile during the Purple Robe Incident. He was later pardoned and invited to become the founding abbot of Tokai-ji by Tokugawa Iemitsu. He is also credited with inspiring the fusion of Zen and martial arts—and even the pickled radish that bears his name.
📚 Kamo no Mabuchi 賀茂真淵
A scholar of ancient Japanese literature and poetry. He delved into the Manyōshū and other classical works, shaping Kokugaku (nativist) thought during the Edo period.
🌠 Shibukawa Harumi 渋川春海
A Go master turned astronomer, Harumi revolutionized Japanese calendrical science. His Jōkyō calendar corrected centuries of error, earning him the position of the shogunate’s first official astronomer in 1684.
🚂 Inoue Masaru 井上勝
Called the “Father of Japanese Railways,” Inoue studied in London and brought modern railway infrastructure to Japan. He lies near the Tōkaidō Main Line and Tōkaidō Shinkansen—a fitting resting place for a railway pioneer.
🏭 Nishimura Katsuzō 西村勝三
A Meiji-era industrialist, Nishimura pioneered Japan’s shoe, brick, knitwear, and glass industries. He founded Regal, Nippi, and helped establish the ceramics firm Nikkato.
🎤 Shimakura Chiyoko 島倉千代子
A beloved enka singer from Shinagawa, Shimakura rose to fame at age 16 with “この世の花” (Kono Yo no Hana). Despite personal hardships, she left a powerful musical legacy before passing in 2013.
🏛️ Oyama Cemetery as a National Cultural Property
The cemetery is a nationally designated Historic Site (史跡) due to its significance as the final resting place of key cultural and historical figures. It is one of the few locations in Tokyo where the Edo, Meiji, and modern eras converge so tangibly.
Where is it?
| what3words | ///belts.trees.troubled |
| latitude longitude | 35.6191577 139.7353289 |
| Nearest station(s) | Shimbamba station (Keikyu line) Osaki station (Saikyō, Shōnan-Shinjuku, Yamanote and Rinkai lines) |
| Nearest public conveniences | Kodo no Mori Park see #16 |
Show me a sign.
As good as new.
Withervee says…
Quite a large cemetery in a triangle shape bordered on the two longer sided by railway lines. Shinkansen lines to the east and JR Lines to the west. So, it’s not entirely quiet.
I notice by Shimakura Chiyoko grave there were some signs hanging on trees promoting a musical recital.
Site Character
- Lifestyle 生活 (Seikatsu): ✅
- Historical Significance 歴史 (Rekishi): ✅
- Atmosphere/Natural Features 風土 (Fūdo): ✅
Who in their right mind would vote for this?
- Gravestone hunters
- Zen nerds
- Tokugawa history buffs
- Railway romantics
- Fans of Shimakura Chiyoko
Further reading
Tokyo Shinagawa Tourism and Town Tour Information Site
