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Japanese Cemetery, Sandakan
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Japanese_Cemetery_Sandakan#/media/File:Sandakan_Sabah_OldJapaneseCemetery-02.jpg
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas
There is a Japanese cemetery (GPS: 5.84321, 118.12273) in Sandakan, Sabah. This is the resting place of a small Japanese community that settled here in the late 19th century. As in the case with many other towns in Malaya, Sandakan saw an influx of impoverished Japanese immigrants at the tail end of the 19th century. They came mostly from rural villages. In Sandakan, they worked as labourers and prostitutes, known as karayuki san, literally "Miss Gone Overseas". The situation here is no different from that in Penang (read Cintra Street and Penang Japanese Cemetery). According to the records, there were 20 brothels and 71 Japanese prostitutes in Sabah in 1891.
The Japanese Cemetery of Sandakan was established by a Japanese women by the name of Kinoshita Kuni, better known as O-kuni. The majority of the graves belonged to Japanese women, many of whom earned a living from prostitution.
Old tombstones at the Japanese Cemetery of Sandakanhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Japanese_Cemetery_Sandakan#/media/File:Sandakan_Sabah_OldJapaneseCemetery-03.jpgCEphoto, Uwe Aranas
Old tombstones at the Japanese Cemetery of Sandakanhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Japanese_Cemetery_Sandakan#/media/File:Sandakan_Sabah_OldJapaneseCemetery-12.jpgCEphoto, Uwe Aranas
Getting there
Go along Jalan Istana, past the Rotary Club Observation Pavillion, Agnes Keith House and the take a right turn to the undulating Chinese Cemetery. Eventually you will see the archway of the Japanese Cemetery.Japanese Cemetery is 
on the map of Sandakan
List of Cemeteries in Sandakan, Cemeteries in Sabah and Cemeteries in Malaysia
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Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.
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