JAPANESE CEMETERY PARK

The Japanese Cemetery Park is Southeast Asia's largest Japanese cemetery and the resting place of Singapore's early Japanese community. It is close to Hougang and a major Japanese legacy in Singapore may be found in this tranquil residential neighbourhood in Hougang. The enormous 30,000-square-metre Japanese Cemetery Park, which originates from the early twentieth century.

With its well-manicured and zen-like settings, this quiet park will transport you to Japan with its gorgeous floral archways and charming Japanese architecture. This park has served as the final resting place for a variety of Japanese people in Singapore for over a century, ranging from destitute migrants struggling to make a life on the coasts to wealthy merchants and even WWII military officers. But it's much more than a cemetery, and as you explore this peaceful area, you'll learn about decades of history.

In the initial days, the Japanese Cemetery Park's gravestones belonged to Japanese escorts who never returned to their homeland. The Japanese people became more prosperous as more Japanese merchants and traders arrived in Singapore after World War I. Many merchants and tradesmen were also cremated at the cemetery after their deaths, with magnificent tombstones and commemorative plaques. For those interested in exploring this historical aspect of Singapore, various Singapore travel packages offer guided tours of significant sites like the Japanese Cemetery Park.

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Highlights

• The largest Japanese cemetery in Southeast Asia and the first Japanese cemetery in Singapore.
• The sprawling 30,000 square metre Japanese Cemetery Park has around 1000 graves of Japanese civilians and soldiers.
• Thousands of Japanese troops, marines, and airmen were slain in World War II, and their ashes are interred in the Japanese Cemetery Park.
• The Japanese Cemetery Park is where Singapore's early Japanese community is buried.
• Home to some of the beautiful heritage trees, manicured gardens, intricately crafted sculptures, tombstones, and floral pathways.

How To Reach

By Bus:

If you are thinking of travelling by bus then you can hop on 103, 147, 156, 43, 43M, 73, and 76 buses. All these buses pass through the Japanese Cemetery Park. 

By Metro:

You can take the North East Line Metro to reach the Japanese Cemetery Park from any place around the city. 

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Best Time To Visit

The Japanese Cemetery Park welcomes travellers all through the year but the best time to visit would be from the month of December to the month of June. The climate majorly remains dry with low moisture making it comfortable for you to explore the park. 

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Other Essential Information

History of the Japanese Cemetery Park

The Japanese Cemetery Park was established in 1891 to service the burial needs of the Japanese community in Singapore. Futaki Takajiro, Shibuya Ginji, and Nakagawa Kikuzo, three brothel owners, got permission from the government in 1891 to create a cemetery for the indigent Japanese prostitutes who died in Singapore but had no final resting place.

After World War I, Japan's industrialisation accelerated at an incredible rate, and the Japanese population here began to comprise people from a variety of industries, including agriculture, retail, and fishing. These people's tombs were later added to the cemetery. The building of the tombs became increasingly intricate and sophisticated as the population grew wealthier. 

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