- Japanese: 玉泉寺 (gyokusen-ji)
Gyokusen-ji is a Buddhist temple in Shimoda, on the Izu peninsula. It is notable as the site of the graves of several members of Commodore Perry's crew.
Robert Williams, a 24-year-old crewmember onboard the USS Mississippi, became on 1854/2/8 (March 6) the first member of the mission to die in mainland Japan. He was initially buried at Zôtoku-in in Yokohama, but his grave was moved to Gyokusen-ji three months later.[1] The cemetery at Gyokusen-ji includes the graves of five Americans (most of whom were also members of Perry's mission), and three Russians.
References
- "History of The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery," Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery official website.
- ↑ Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 553.