Once owned by the Aoyama family of the Gujo Clan in the Meiji Era, Aoyama Cemetery was Japan’s first cemetery to be open to the public. It is the resting place of some of Japan’s most notable artists, scientists and politicians as well as Shibuya’s most loyal dog, Hachiko, whose statue sees hundreds of visitors a day at Shibuya Station.
While the area has over 120,000 graves of both Japanese and foreign figures, it is also a delightfully scenic spot for a quiet stroll. The cemetery is lined with rows of cherry blossoms along its main road that make it one of the most splendid spots in Tokyo when the blossoms come into full bloom in late March.