Yanaka Cemetery

Yanaka Cemetery is defined by a central, wide pathway lined with cherry trees that form a vibrant pink canopy when they bloom each April. Established in eighteen seventy-two, this sprawling, ten-hectare grounds now holds approximately seven thousand graves. The land was originally part of the Tenno-ji temple complex, but it was confiscated by the government during the Meiji era to create a public burial space as part of a national policy separating Buddhism and Shinto.