Japanese Cemetery

The Japanese Cemetery in Colma is defined by the stone monument dedicated to the Issei, the first generation of Japanese immigrants who arrived in the United States. Established in nineteen oh one by the Japanese Association of San Francisco, the cemetery provided a final resting place when discriminatory laws often barred Japanese residents from other burial grounds. In the aftermath of the nineteen oh six earthquake, it became a sanctuary for victims who had nowhere else to be buried, holding their remains with dignity.