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Life On The Move
Japanese Cemetery
There are far to many stark differences between the US and Japan to mention in this post. One difference worth mentioning are the cemeteries. In my 30 years on this planet I have unfortunately been to many cemeteries all over the states and almost non share the beauty that is ever present at the Japanese sites. There are a few in New Orleans that have aged stone statues that are quite striking, but the attention to detail in a Japanese graveyard is foreign to me and quite beautiful. The immaculately kept grounds, the wooden sticks with the dead person’s name, and the fact that most are perched on a hill side are a few reasons that these destinations attract me.
Last week I was walking through a neighboring town and stumbled upon this amazing cemetery. In the city of Iruma, this breathtaking scene starts low at the base of a large hill then sweeps up to the hills precipice. At the bottom is the prayer building that in this case was very old and weathered. As you follow the road from the prayer house that winds slowly up the hill, you are met with an obscure pyramid lined row after row with small praying Buddha statues. I have no idea what they represent, but they cause you to take pause at their beauty.
As you continue to follow the road, the graves start. As you ascend the tiers, the family plots gain stature as you gain altitude. At the top of the hill lies a huge golden Buddha that over looks the Kanto plain a few hundred feet below. Words escape you in it’s presence.
I have always thought that it would be nice to be cremated and have my ashes given to my closest friends and family. Each person could take my ashes to a place that reminds them of me and spread my ashes there. The more I experience the Japanese culture and sites like this one, I think it might be nice to also have a place, be it small, to be forever remembered.
