Reimagining Urban Cemeteries: Behavioral Patterns, Perceptions, and Intentions in Tokyo’s Public Burial Landscapes

Once confined to mourning and burial, urban cemeteries are now being reimagined as multifunctional public spaces integrated into everyday urban life. Responding to this evolving role, this study investigates how metropolitan cemeteries in Tokyo are used, perceived, and socially negotiated. Although institutional initiatives have promoted the integration of cemeteries into green infrastructure, empirical research on user behavior, perception, and willingness remains limited—particularly in East Asian contexts. To address this gap, the study combines unstructured user-generated data (Google Maps reviews and images) with structured questionnaire responses to examine behavioral patterns, emotional responses, perceived landscape elements, and behavioral intentions across both urban and suburban cemeteries. Findings reveal that non-commemorative uses—ranging from nature appreciation and cultural engagement to recreational walking—are common in urban cemeteries and are closely associated with positive sentiment and seasonal perception. Factor analysis identifies two dimensions of behavioral intention—active and passive engagement—and reveals group-level differences: commemorative visitors show greater inclination toward active engagement, whereas multi-purpose visitors tend toward passive forms. Urban cemeteries are more frequently associated with non-commemorative behaviors and higher willingness to engage than suburban sites. These results underscore the role of cultural norms, prior experience, and spatial typology in shaping cemetery use, and offer practical insights for managing cemeteries as inclusive and culturally meaningful components of the urban landscape.