The Royal British Legion is recognised as the national Custodian of Remembrance - a role of particular significance for the Tokyo Branch, the nearest Legion branch to the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Hodogaya, Yokohama.

Located about 9 kilometres west of central Yokohama and about 50 kilometres from the centre of Tokyo, the cemetery, constructed in 1945 and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on behalf of the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Pakistan, is the only such cemetery in Japan. It contains almost 1,900 World War II related burials and commemorations, mostly British and Commonwealth, Dutch and US soldiers, sailors, airmen and merchant fleet personnel who died as POWs in or near Japan. There is a post-WW II section for the graves of those who died of illness or accident while serving with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the period 1948-1950 and of those who died in Japan following military service in the Korean War.

Our remembrance activities centre on participation in annual ceremonies at the Commonwealth War Cemetery: Remembrance Sunday, ANZAC Day and Memorial Day. The cemetery is open year-round from 8am to 5pm daily. View our News & Events calendar for details of Remembrance events, which are open to all. If any overseas relatives or comrades of the heroes buried or commemorated at Hodogaya wish to have a poppy or cross and message placed on a grave, we are happy to do so on their behalf - just let us know. Branch members are also available to assist first-time visitors in locating specific gravestones of deceased comrades or relatives, provided reasonable notice is given.

Remembrance Day 2014, Commonwealth War Cemetery, Hodogaya

Photos courtesy of Mr. Julian Ryall. Please click a photo in our gallery below to enlarge it.