The Naito Family Grave in Kamakura

Unique and Neglected Cemetery of Powerful Feudal Lord

Larry Knipfing Jun 04, 2012 - 1 min read

The statues and gravestones are all mixed together here.

The Naito Family grave is nestled into a residential area.

I have never seen gravestone that look like these do.

The contrast of black on green is quite beautiful.

Within the walls here are 40 Hokyo-into, 1Gorinto, 13 other monuments, 4 Buddha statues, 118 garden lanterns, 17 washbasins and 9 Jizo statues.

Those stone structures were erected during the 250-year period from 1634 through 1888.

Most of Hokyo-into are as tall as 3 meters.

This cemetery is just a few minutes away from Komyo-ji Temple.

This statue has lost his head, but somebody has kindly placed it down below him.

The cemetery sits in a 2,000-square-meter plot.

It is hard to know who these represent, since there is not much information available.

The site is designated as a Historic Spot by the City of Kamakura

Attached to Komyo-ji Temple, this grave took me by surprise. It looks so different than any grave I have ever seen here in Japan. Although it is closed to the public, it is very easy to see in over the low fence surrounding it. A sign posted in front explains that the temple was the family temple for the Naitos, a feudal lord in Miyazaki Prefecture in the latter half of the Edo Period (1603-1868). They were powerful and whenever a family member died, elaborate funerals were held. The grave now seems to have fallen into neglect.

Larry Knipfing @larry.knipfing

Born on Long Island, New York in 1958, I have spent the last 30 years of my life living in Japan, and enjoying every minute of it! I especially love photography, and Japan is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world to photograph! My other love is fiction writing and I have pub...