Asia Images / John Lander Photography

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Jokan-ji temple has a famous cemetery where the remains of about 25,000 prostitutes and victims of the fire from the Yoshiwara red light district of Tokyo lie buried. The dead bodies of prostitutes of the Yoshiwara quarter who were poor, were tucked into a hay mat and brought to the back entrance of the temple and left there. There is also the sad fact of the mass burial of about 500 prostitutes that occurred just after the Great Kanto Earthquake, when many bodies had to be burned for health reasons. A shrine was dedicated during the Meiji Period that is regularly tended to and festooned with flowers, as well as several jizo around the temple grounds - jizo are the protectors of women, children and travelers. The temple opened in 1655.

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JOHN LANDER
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Jokan-ji temple has a famous cemetery where the remains of about 25,000 prostitutes and victims of the fire from the Yoshiwara red light district of Tokyo lie buried. The dead bodies of prostitutes of the Yoshiwara quarter who were poor, were tucked into a hay mat and brought to the back entrance of the temple and left there. There is also the sad fact of the mass burial of about 500 prostitutes that occurred just after the Great Kanto Earthquake, when many bodies had to be burned for health reasons. A shrine was dedicated during the Meiji Period that is regularly tended to and festooned with flowers, as well as several jizo around the temple grounds - jizo are the protectors of women, children and travelers. The temple opened in 1655.