Ushiku Jōen, Cemetery park in Ushiku, Japan
Ushiku Joen is a large cemetery covering extensive grounds with about 17,000 burial plots arranged throughout a park-like setting. Thousands of trees and seasonal flowers create a green environment, with different sections dedicated to various burial traditions and family arrangements.
The cemetery operates under the supervision of a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple, a school founded by Shinran. The area maintains historical connections to this religious movement that took root in the region centuries ago.
The cemetery hosts important annual ceremonies like the Manto-e lantern festival in August, when thousands of lights illuminate the graves in remembrance. These events are central to ancestral veneration practices within the Buddhist community here.
The cemetery provides free wheelchair rentals and a large parking area with about 500 spaces for visitors. A regular shuttle bus connects the grounds to JR Ushiku Station, making arrival straightforward for those using public transport.
The cemetery offers shared graves for those without family successors, ensuring that memorial services continue indefinitely for all those buried there. Among the burial options are distinctive dragon-headed tombstones that reflect a particular burial tradition.
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