The Japanese Cemetery is located at Lintang P Ramlee, an off road of Jalan P Ramlee.
It was set up in 1893 with 4 trustee (Yamada, Maroree, Hashee Mawthaw, Hamanaka), and was granted the title deed.This was the final resting place for the small Japanese community in Penang during the 19th century. Japanese arrival in Penang was reported as early as 1880.
There were total of 56 tombstones in the Japanese Cemetery. The majority of the tombstones belong to the Karayuki-san, dates during Meiji period(1868-1911) and others belong to the navy officers during the Taisho period(1912-1925). All these tombstones are before the 2nd world war. It was left in neglected state for many years,until 1965 when a resident Japanese , MrHirajima was entrusted by Japanese Embassy to clean up the cemetery.
The pioneer Japanese were like the Chinese, are economic immigrants, escaping for the hardship in Japan during the 19th century. The census conducted in 1910 reported 207 Japanese in Penang.
The early Japanese were mainly Karayuki-san(literally woman gone oversea) or oversea Japanese prostitutes from Shimabara Peninsular(島原半島), Nagasaki Prefecture (長崎県 Nagasaki-ken) , and Amakusa Islands(天草), Kumamoto Prefecture(熊本県 Kumamoto-ken) at North Western Kyushu(九州). The two places are near to Nagasaki city(長崎市 Nagasaki-shi), which is the port.
Note: Nagasaki was found by the Portuguese in 1500, it was the centre of Portuguese and Western influence in the 16th until 19th century. St Francis Xavier did visited the place, but left for China in 1551. The area is also the most Christianize area in Japan. But in 1637, the Shimabara Rebellion(the uprising involving Japanese peasants, mainly Christian 1637-1638) lead to national isolation policy. This has caused the lost of population in the area. Outsiders were bring in and the Christian were prosecuted until 1850s, many go underground or left. The place was now occupied by the outsiders.
Nagasaki become a free port in 1851 during Meiji Restoration,when Japan opened its door again to foreign trade, and modernization. The condition of the peasants and fishermen were however did not improved much, it was the industrialization period.
The first Penang Japanese was reported coming in 1880,during this period. It was reported that the farmers which under the pressure of famine and poverty, sold their daughters to the Zegen(prostitute racketeers)and work as Karayuki-san oversea. The Nagasaki port which is nearby facilitate the flesh trade.
In Penang, Karayuki-san are mainly located in Cintra Street(日本街). Cintra Street is between Chulia Street (牛干冬) and Kimberley Street(汕頭街 ), it is cut by Campbell Street( 新街) into north and south at the middle of the street. There was a place called Little Japan in Penang, between Cintra Street and Kampong Malabar, due to large concentration of Japanese lived there. Cintra Street ,north of Campbell Street was called Ji-Pun- kay(日本街) by Chinese , literally means Japanese Road, but actual meaning is Japanese prostitutes(as there were many Japanese brothels there), as kay in Hokkian dialect can means both road or prostitutes, it sounds the same in the dialect. The road on the south of Campbell Steet is called jipun-hang-kai(日本横街) in Cantonese, which literally means the Japanese side road. Kampong Malabar is called Jipun sin-lor(literally means Japanese new road). There were other Japanese businesses ,being the spill off from the Karayuki-san, namely medical, dental & Pharmacies, Hotel and Inn keepers(Asahi Hotel at 22, Transfer Road was operated by Japanese) , Photo studios and Silent movie theaters.
Karayuki-san was reported to remit back much of their monies to Japan, and contributed to Japan economy and reserve. In 1890, Japan expanded to China in Qing Dynasty, and 1905 to Russia. This increase the export of Karayuki-san as patriotic female army. The victory over Russia in 1905, however raised the racial pride awareness,and in 1910, there were voices against the flesh trade.
No of registered Japanese residents in
| Occupation | No of business establishment | No of male staff | No of female staff | Combined total |
| Medical Clinic | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Dentistry | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Photo Studio | 1 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Glass & Mirror | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Groceries | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Pharmacies | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Hotels & Inns | 2 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Motion Picture | 2 | 20 | 3 | 23 |
| Hairdressing | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Foundry | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Poultry Farm | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Rubber | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Buddhist Clergy | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Laundry | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Carpentry | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Prostitution | 28 | 4 | 126 | 130 |
|
| 49 | 58 | 149 | 207 |
Source: Overseas Japanese population census by the Acting Consul of Japan in
In 1915, there was an Japaneses Association (Jipuna Kong Kwan) between Kampong Malabar and Chulia Street(牛干冬).
It was only in 1920, with the cooperation of the British government in Strait Settlement , did the government sent back the prostitutes to Japan and abolish the flesh trade of Karayuki-san. But some stay on in Penang by going underground or married the local. The population of Japanese began to decline. But there were replaced by some other professional who came, in 1925, the population of Japanese in Penang stood at 166.
In 1930, Japan invaded Manchuria, China.It sparked off anti-Japanese campaigns by Chinese community in Malaya. They also boycott Japanese goods and services. In 1936, the Japanese government advised the citizen to leave. By the second world war, the Japanese community in Penang are all gone. The Word War II started in 1941.
There were also Japanese Cemetery in Ipoh, Sandakan and Singapore;
No.18, Jalan Sungai Pari,
30200
Jalan Istana,
90000 Sandakan, Sabah
Japanese Cemetery Park(日本人墓地公園),
Yio Chu Kang Road,
Hougang,
Singapore
The current Japanese community are here, either during the industrialization of Penang or under 2nd home program.
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