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Lintang P. Ramlee, 10300 Penang

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Japanese Cemetery

Japanese Cemetery is in Penang is the final resting place of a small community of Japanese from the late 19th century. It was set up in 1893. This is around the same time as the Japanese Cemetery in Sandakan, Sabah. Just like the immigrants from southern China, the Japanese faced hardship and poverty during the 19th century. A small community immigrated to Penang to seek a better life, arriving as early as 1880. A census of 1910 placed the number of Japanese in Penang as 207.

Many of those who came to Penang were women who ended up being Karayuki-san in places such as Cintra Street. Literally "Ms Gone Overseas", karayuki-san are Japanese girls who were forced to become prostitutes outside Japan, usually coming from impoverished farming and fishermen families. In addition to the karayuki-san, the Japanese also operated grocery shops, pharmacies and other businesses in George Town. They brought camera to Penang and were the first to opened photo studios here. Medical practitioners, from doctors to dentists and pharmacists also came, to provide health care to the Karayuki-san as well as to the locals. The area between Cintra Street and Kampung Malabar became known as Little Japan due to the sizeable Japanese community that lived there.

There were a total of 56 tombstones in the Japanese cemetery, all before the Second World War. The majority belonged to the Karayuki-san and dates to the Meiji Period (1868-1911). Later graves belonged to Japanese navy officers from the Taisho Period (1912-1925).

The number of Japanese in Penang began to decline in 1920 through repatriation. This hastened in the 1930's as Japanese aggression in China, particularly Manchuria, generated ill feeling among the local Chinese community towards the Japanese, compelling them to pack up for home. By the Second World War, the Japanese community that once lived in Penang had all but gone.

Acknowledgment
I would like to thank Clement Liang, my fellow Council Member at the Penang Heritage Trust, for his help in preparing this write-up.

Getting there

The Japanese Cemetery is located at Lintang P. Ramlee, a short distance from P. Ramlee's birth house. The best way to reach it is by taking a taxi. Be sure to ask the taxi driver to wait, as it may be difficult to hail a cab from there.

Nearby Sights

  • P. Ramlee's Birth House
  • City Stadium
  • Brown Memorial

    • Visiting Penang

    If you're planning a trip to Penang, please go through the information I have assembled in Penang Travel Tips. You'd find there information covering all aspect about Penang, including accommodation, transport, food, shopping, places of interest and more. Everything you need to know Penang is right there at your finger tips!

    Click for list of Penang Heritage Sites



    Japanese Cemetery (8 January 2008)
    © Timothy Tye using this photo

    Japanese Cemetery Location Map






    Gate of the Japanese Cemetery (19 February 2005)
    © Timothy Tye using this photo


    Tombstone in the Japanese Cemetery (19 February 2005)
    © Timothy Tye using this photo

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    Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms.