For Yasujiro Ozu (1903–1963), Kamakura was not merely the place where he spent the last decade of his life. It was also the setting for some of his most iconic films, such as Late Spring (1949) and Early Summer (1951), as well as the location of his grave.
The creator of the global masterpiece Tokyo Story and one of the most influential film directors in the world is buried in the cemetery of Engaku-ji, a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple. This temple complex is one of the most significant in Zen Buddhism in Japan and is certainly worth a visit. It’s just a five-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station.
Yasujiro Ozu’s grave lies at the highest level of the cemetery, which stretches across the slope of a hill. His tombstone does not bear his name but instead the kanji 無 (mu), a Buddhist concept signifying nothingness. It was inscribed by Zen master and the temple’s head priest, as well as renowned calligrapher, Shogen Asahina (1891–1979).
His mother, with whom he lived (Ozu never married), is buried in the same grave. Notably, actress Setsuko Hara – Ozu’s muse and a Kamakura resident herself – frequently visited the grave until her death in 2015.
photos: Junko Nagata ©Japanbyweb.com
March 2025
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Also visit the grave of Akira Kurosawa in Kamakura