Musashi Imperial Graveyard

The Musashi Imperial Graveyard sits at the western edge of Tokyo near Hachioji and covers around 46 hectares of forested hills. Laid out from 1927 for Emperor Taisho, his round mound mausoleum Tama no Misasagi marks the northern half. After 1989 the mausoleum of Emperor Showa was added, who was buried after a 63-year reign. Both emperors rest beside their consorts Teimei and Kojun, whose smaller burial mounds adjoin theirs. The site follows the ancient Japanese kofun tradition of circular earthworks, set among old cedar groves. Visitors reach the cemetery by train from Shinjuku and walk the gravel paths between the mausoleums.