Interesting graves in South Australia: Yoshiluma Kawakami

Through gate B off Chippenham Street and along Row H41e you will find a very distinctive grave in the Cheltenham Cemetery. It is the grave with the distinction of being the only site in this cemetery, full of worthy contenders, to hold a heritage listing.
A Japanese naval cadet, Yoshiluma Kawakami, died just before his vessel put into Adelaide on a goodwill visit in 1887. The subsequent burial on 22 April 1887 and a later visit by dignitaries of the Japanese Imperial Navy in 1903 is reported as attracting widespread interest in the press according to the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority. A search of newspapers of the time suggests otherwise!
Today it is difficult to grasp why such a high level of interest was aroused in the community by this incident. The Japanese were our allies at this time and the common enemy was seen as Imperial Russia. Japan stood between us and a possible naval invasion. Military Road from Glenelg north along the inside of the now largely lost sand hills that used to be a feature of our coast was planned to service a string of forts* erected to protect the city from the perceived Russian threat after a Russian gunboat was seen in the Gulf in 1870. Doubtless the death of a boy so far from home and from such a differing culture also generated interest in the event.
By the way, the death was registered as: Surname: KAMI; First name: Kaura; male aged 20; Died: 22 Apr 1887 aboard Byujo; Residence: Japan. Ref: Bk 163 p343.

Sources:
Adelaide Cemeteries Authority; Plan of management. Cheltenham Cemetery Enfield Memorial Park Smithfield Memorial Park, Jun 2003, p12



Notes:
• Only Forts Glanville and Largs ever came to fruition although the building of Fort Glenelg on the site of the present day sewerage works was commenced.
• Register 7 February 1913, page 6g:
The Japanese have a profound respect for their dead. An instance of this reverence is given in a letter received from Admiral S Tochinai, who was a lieutenant on a Japanese man-o'-war when it visited the colony in 1887: 'I venture to approach you to ask your kindness and sympathy in taking the trouble to place a wreath before the grave of Cadet Y. Kawakami who lies in the cemetery at Port Adelaide. He was my class and ship mate in HMJMS Rinjo which called at Adelaide in May 1887. He died in the Indian Ocean and his body was taken to Port Adelaide and there buried. Subsequently his grave was visited by a number of our squadron in 1903 and since I suppose there have been no Japanese visitors...' The Admiral's request was complied with by Mr. Searcy who, in the days when the admiral was a lieutenant, first became acquainted with him.