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Japan in 3 parts: 2. Laughing with the dead
Anyone who has looked at my so-called blog for any length of time is aware of my affinity for cemeteries; so it shouldn't surprise anyone to see me seeking out cemeteries in other countries. Japan has two kinds of cemeteries -- the traditional type on the grounds of Buddhist temples, and the Western import. And the earliest of the latter is Aoyama Reien, the first public cemetery in Japan; established in 1872. Taking up about 7 acres of prime Tokyo real estate, the cemetery is probably best known as a popular springtime Ohanami spot, due to the hundreds of cherry trees that line the roads and paths. The sakura were long bloomed-out, but there were other trees in bloom, as well as many flowers.

We selected a quiet, untended gravesite for our picnic, and were surprised to be joined by a large, friendly raven, who seemed to be interested in our food. I tossed him a piece of nattō sushi, more as a joke than an offering. He snatched it up and flew to a post a few feet away where he proceeded to eat the nattō out of the middle, leaving the rice and nori wrapper uneaten. It was a sticky, stringy mess, and the raven's determination to get it all lent it a dignified yet absurd air. We had a difficult time keeping our laughter down so as to not spook the raven. Then again, Aoyama Reien has a huge flock of ravens, and their incessant caws sound like macabre laughter.



One of the things I find particularly interesting about Japanese gravestones is that they often incorporate natural elements in ways that Western graves would never consider. A relatively common example is that of a rough, irregular stone instead of a cut and polished one. The closest that the West has come to this is the "rustic style" headstones of the late-Victorian era, but they often come off as fussy and self-consciously styled.




Another unusual element of Japanese gravestones is that they very often incorporate brush writing, rather than the more formal block styles. I enjoy imagining the process by which these were carved -- with a calligrapher dipping their brush in water, wiping it over an inkstone, pausing to compose themself, then writing the words in flowing gestures. Once the ink has dried, the carver takes over, chiseling away the stone below the ink. The effect is particularly striking when the characters are then picked out with contrasting paint.



a minimum-security final resting place


this unusually grand grave must belong to some hero of the Russian Wars



this one, while also martial, was reduced to its essence: an artillery shell


some fascinating variations of the Western mausoleum vernacular






and, unusually for American cemeteries -- lots of cats




Another fascinating, mysterious grave. First, the scale is heroic, with a gravestone about 12 feet tall. But the English-language marker only describes Mr. Mishima as a "Chief Scout" in the Boy Scouts. And the Boy Scouts of America (and Britain) are infamously allied with Christianity, so the Shinto torii is yet another oddity. A little on-line sleuthing revealed that he was a bit more than that. Michiharu Mishima was a viscount, and his father was the 8th hereditary Custodian of the Bank of Japan. His mother's father was a marquis. Mishima himself was a member of the House of Peers and the House of Councillors, a Vice-Minister, an author, playwright and drama critic...and the first President of the Boy Scouts of Japan. Typical Japanese sell-effacement, even in death -- to list one's great accomplishment as belonging to a group.



a curious creature to have keeping one company for eternity


...and perhaps a more fitting one


graceful decay, Japanese style







another mystery: a torii leads into an isolated grove with strange monuments


clearly Shinto, but beyond that...?


the Masons are everywhere


...but what could this signify?


Aoyama Reien is also known for its section devoted to foreigners. Many of these were American and European Christian missionaries, but there are also some of those who were instrumental in modernizing Japan during the Meiji Restoration (rather than trying to drag it back to 33CE).






a miscellany







Next: part 2.5 -- the two islands previously mentioned