Japanese Cemetery (Colma, California)

Not to be confused with Japanese Cemetery Park.

Japanese Cemetery
Japanese Cemetery Columbarium, completed in 1963
Details
Established	1901
Location	Colma, California
Country	United States
Coordinates	37°41′02″N122°27′29″W / 37.683999°N 122.458100°W / 37.683999; -122.458100
Type	Japanese
Owned by	Jikei-kai Japanese Benevolent Society of California
Find a Grave	Japanese Cemetery

Japanese Cemetery was founded in 1901 and is located at 1300 Hillside Boulevard in Colma, California. This cemetery has brought together the Japanese community in California and has worked with Buddhist, Shinto, and Christian religious organizations. ^[1]

History

In the beginning of the 20th century, most Japanese living in San Francisco were buried in either the Masonic Cemetery or the Laurel Hill Cemetery (formerly Lone Hill Cemetery), in the Lone Mountain neighborhood. ^[2] In 1901, all new burials were forbidden in the city of San Francisco due to a law change. ^[2] In 1901, the Jikei-kai Japanese Benevolent Society of California purchased 2 acres (0.81 ha) of land in Colma to create a cemetery, and some graves from Laurel Hill and Masonic Cemeteries in San Francisco were moved here. ^{[3] [2] [4]} On March 17, 1903, Jōdo Shinshū cleric Rev. Nishijima Kakyuro officiated the opening ceremony for the cemetery. ^[4]

In 1906, the Meiji-era Emperor of Japan provided a grant to help bury Japanese in California. ^[1]

The site lacks the extensive landscaping typical of the other park-like cemeteries in Colma; most paths are paved with concrete or gravel, and a traditional Japanese garden lies just outside the entrance of the columbarium. ^{[5] : 108–109}

Notable burials

Hardscaped graves at Japanese Cemetery

The oldest graves appear to be from 1860 from the three crew members of the Japanese warship Kanrin Maru, which pre-dates the founding Japanese Cemetery of Colma. ^[2] In 1860, these three Japanese sailors aboard the Kanrin Maru died during the first Japanese Embassy to the United States. ^[2] The sailors had been buried at the Marine Hospital Cemetery (which closed in 1870) in San Francisco, then later transferred to Laurel Hill Cemetery, followed by a move to the Japanese Cemetery in Colma. ^[3]

• Kyutaro Abiko (1865–1936), Japanese-born American businessman and newspaper editor; founder of Nichi Bei Times. ^[4]
• Makoto Hagiwara (1854–1925), landscape designer and longtime manager of the Japanese tea garden at Golden Gate Park. ^{[5] : 111}
• Ayao Hattori  [ jp ] (1863–1914), politician, pastor, and educator; sent to alleviate the anti-Japanese sentiment. ^[4]
• Keisaburo Koda (1882–1964), businessperson, rice farmer, founder of Koda Farms. ^[2]
• George Shima (1864–1926), businessperson, potato farmer, the first Japanese American millionaire. ^[2]

See also

• List of cemeteries in California
• Japanese cemeteries and cenotaphs

References

1. Yamamoto, J. K. (2021-05-20). "Benevolent Society Commemorates 120 Years of Japanese Cemetery with Virtual Memorial Day Service". Rafu Shimpo. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
2. Svanevik, Michael; Burgett, Shirley (2017-12-06). "Matters Historical: A bit of old Japan in a Colma cemetery". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
3. Thomas, Graham (2017-05-01). The voyage and visit of the Kanrin Maru to San Francisco. Sagus. pp. 80–81. ISBN   978-1-911489-99-3.
4. Lee, Jonathan H. X. (2018-10-12). Asian American History Day by Day: A Reference Guide to Events. ABC-CLIO. p. 41. ISBN   978-0-313-39928-2.
5. Svanevik, Michael; Burgett, Shirley (1995). City of Souls: San Francisco's Necropolis at Colma . San Francisco, California: Custom & Limited Editions. ISBN   1-881529-04-5.