Lighthouses of Japan: Kumamoto Area

Located at the southwestern end of the Japanese archipelago, the island of Kyūshū is divided into seven prefectures. This page includes lighthouses Kumamoto Prefecture, which is in the center of Kyūshū and faces west on Ariake Bay. Also included here are two lighthouses on Ariake Bay that are located in Fukuoka and Saga Prefectures, respectively. Fukuoka and Saga have many other lighthouses on their northern coasts, and those lighthouses are listed on the Northern Kyūshū page.

In Japanese, the word for a lighthouse is tōdai or toudai (灯台). The words saki and misaki are for capes and headlands, shima (also spelled sima or jima) is an island, wan is a bay, and kō is a harbor. Lighthouses in Japan are operated and maintained by the Japanese Coast Guard's Maritime Safety Agency. There is at least one Coast Guard Section Office in each prefecture, often two or more.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. JP numbers are the Japanese Coast Guard's light list numbers. Admiralty numbers are from volume M of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Lighthouses in Japan
A comprehensive site, although almost entirely in Japanese. It's easiest to use the pages for each prefecture: Kumamoto, Fukuoka, and Saga. There's also a page on Lighthouses by R. H. Brunton listing the earliest Western-style Japanese lighthouses.
Our Lighthouses of Kumamoto Prefecture
A comprehensive collection of photos of Kagoshima lighthouses. There are companion pages for Saga and Fukuoka prefectures.
Lighthouse of Japan
Another comprehensive site, in Japanese, with pages for each prefecture: Kumamoto | Fukuoka | Saga.
Kiso's Lighthouses
This site has many excellent photos of Japanese lighthouses.
Region Ten Lighthouses
Information and photos posted by the Tenth Coast Guard Region office, which is responsible for Kumamoto Prefecture.
Kumamoto Prefecture Lighthouses
Information posted by the Kumamoto Coast Guard Office.
Miike Area Lighthouses
Information and photos posted by the Miike Coast Guard Office.
Modern Lighthouse Design
Posted by the Japan Aids to Navigation Association (JANA), this page links to descriptions and photos of interesting modern lighthouses throughout Japan.
Japanese Lighthouses
This large collection of photos has a page for Kumamoto.

Kamimate Shima Light
Kamimate Shima Light, Amakusa
Japanese Coast Guard photo

Lighthouses of Kumamoto Prefecture


Ashikita District Lighthouses
Minamata Kō (Koiji Shima)
1957. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the western tip of Koiji Shima, and island off Minamate harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2100; JP-6542; Admiralty M5134; NGA 11212.
* Egushi Kō
1965. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 6 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a breakwater on the west side of the entrance to Egushi. Accessible by walking the pier. ARLHS JPN-2088; JP-6538; Admiralty M5147.4; NGA 11236.
Higo Okino Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. 8 m (25 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located in Yatsushiro Bay about 1.5 km (1 mi) northwest of the Egushi lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2092; JP-6537; Admiralty M5147.47; NGA 11240.

Yatsushiro City Lighthouses
Yatsushiro Kō Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two red flashes every 8 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater on the south side of the entrance to Yatsushiro. Site and tower closed, but there's a good view from ferries crossing Yatsushiro Bay between Yatsushiro and Amakusa. ARLHS JPN-2116; JP-6532; Admiralty M5142.4; NGA 11304.
Yatsushiro Kō Groin
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 3 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round concrete tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Lighthouse is white. Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view. Located at the end of a partially-submerged training wall in Yatsushiro harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2115; JP-6524; Admiralty M5142; NGA 11308.

Uki City Lighthouses
Mifune (Mihune) Se
1980. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); one short and one long red flash every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower with double gallery mounted on a concrete pier; an adjoining pier has steps for access to the light. The tower is red. Another photo is available (almost halfway down the page), and Google has a distant satellite view. Located about 800 m (1/2 mi) offshore at the head of Yatsushiro Bay west of Uki. Accessible only by boat, but there is an excellent view from highway 266, which is very close to the shore in this area. Site open, tower closed. JP-6436; Admiralty M51432; NGA 11564.
Tobase Shima
1898. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white light, 3 s off, 3 s on. 8 m (26 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a small 1-story stone keeper's cottage. Entire lighthouse painted white. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse, Kiso has a closeup photo (a little over halfway down the page), and Google has a very distant satellite view. This is one in a chain of Yatsushiro Bay lighthouses built shortly after Japan took control of Taiwan. The lighthouse marks the entrance from Yatsushiro Bay to the narrow Misumi Strait, the northern entrance to the bay. Located at the southern tip of Tobase Shima, an island about 9 km (6.5 mi) southeast of Misumi. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-655; JP-6434; Admiralty M5143; NGA 11556.
* Tera Shima
1898. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); flash every 3 s, white or red depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) round tapered stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The Coast Guard's photo appears at right, another photo is available (about 1/3 the way down the page), and Google has a distant satellite view. Another in the chain of Yatsushiro Bay lighthouses built shortly after Japan took control of Taiwan. Located off the northeastern tip of an island in the Misumi Strait, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) south of the city. The lighthouse appears to be accessible, at least at low tide. Site open, tower closed. JP-6432; Admiralty M5164; NGA 11552.
Misumi Kō (Ninai Shima)
1962. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the island. Located on an islet at the wstern end of Ninai Shima in the middle of Misumi Strait, on the west side of the city. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2101; JP-6429; Admiralty M5162; NGA 11548.

Tera Shima Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo
* Misumi
1890. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); two white flashes every 7 s. 6.5 m (21 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery rising from a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, and another photo is available (about 1/4 the way down the page), but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located on a promontory on the north side of the entrance to Misumi Strait from Ariake Bay, about 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest of the city. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-359; JP-6428; Admiralty M5160; NGA 11544.

Kami-Amakusa City Southern (Matsushima) Lighthouses
Note: Amakusa-Shotō is a pair of large and well-populated islands totaling about 42 km (26 mi) long and 21 km (13 mi) wide, separated from the mainland portion of Kumamoto Prefecture by Yatsushiro Bay. At Hondo a narrow channel separates the two islands, Kami-Amakusa to the northeast and Shimo-Amakusa to the southwest. The islands are accessible from the mainland by a series of bridges on highway 266. The lighthouses in this first group are on the Yatsushiro Bay coast in the former town of Matsushima.
* Shimo (Simo) Utono Hana
1955. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with several photos, another photo is available (halfway down the page), JANA has a page for the lighthouse, and Google has a distant satellite view. The design details of this lighthouse were inspired by the design of a nearby Christian church. Located at the northeastern tip of Amakusa Kami Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-566; JP-6448; Admiralty M5141; NGA 11312.
Uryū Saki
1968. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 10.5 m (35 ft) round concrete tower attached to a small 1-story equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with a closeup photo, another photo is available (next to last photo on the page), and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a sharp promontory on the northeast coast of Amakusa Kami Shima. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-723; JP-6519; Admiralty M5140.4; NGA 11288.
* Higo Wada Saki
1962. Inactive since 2008. 7.5 m (25 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower attached to a small 1-story equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory, marking a narrow passage between Amakusa Kami Shima and Hino Shima, a smaller island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-113; JP-6518; Admiralty M5140; NGA 11280.
* Matsuga Hana
1985. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); continuous white light. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, covered with white tile. Google has a satellite view. The tower carries a white spotlight that illuminates a beacon on a shoal to the southeast. Located on a promontory on the east side of east of Ōdo. Site open, tower closed. JP-6517.5; Admiralty M5138.9; NGA 11269.
Utono Hana Light
Utono Hana Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo
Karaziro (Karajiro) Hana
1972. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round bottle-shaped concrete tower with gallery, attached to a 1-story equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with an excellent photo, Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory projecting sharply southward from the eastern coast of Amakusa Kami Shima. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-231; JP-6517; Admiralty M5138.8; NGA 11268.

Amakusa City East Coast (Yatsushiro Bay) Lighthouses
Gannoshiri (Ganno Shiri, Gannosiri)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks a sharp turn in the main ship channel of Yatsushiro Bay. Located at the southwestern tip of Goshoura Shima, an island in Yatsushiro Bay off the southeast coast of Amakusa Kami Shima. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-231; JP-6507; Admiralty M5137.5; NGA 11244.
Yoko Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); continuous white light with a more intense flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. The lighthouse marks the entrance to Takahama Bay, a sheltered sound between Kami-Amakusa and Shimo-Amakusa. Located at the northern tip of the island of Yoko Shima. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-231; JP-6494; Admiralty M5154; NGA 11438.
Kajiki Saki
1975. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, covered with white tile. Google has a distant satellite view of the cape. Located on a promontory on the northeast coast of Shimo-Amakusa. Probably accessible by walking a service road. Site status unknown. JP-6493; Admiralty M5129.1; NGA 11372.
Kamimate Shima
1897. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); two flashes every 5 s, white or red depending on direction. 6.5 m (21 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. A platform supported by four posts carrying the solar panels has been attached to the tower. A Coast Guard photo is at the top of the page, and Google has a distant satellite view. This is one of five lighthouses built shortly after Japan took control of Taiwan (1895), leading to a great increase in shipping from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Today, this light and the Mate Shima light (see above) frame a narrow passage on the east side of Amakusa Shimo Shima. Located on a small island about 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Ushibuka. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2044; Admiralty M5128; NGA 11384.
To Shima
1897. Active; focal plane 47.5 m (156 ft); white flash every 3 s. 6.5 m (21 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a tiny 1-story stone keeper's cottage. Entire lighthouse painted white. The Coast Guard's photo is at right, Kiso has a distant view (halfway down the page), and Google has a distant satellite view. Another in the chain of lighthouses built shortly after Japan took control of Taiwan (see previous entry). Keepers staffed this light until 1959, although perhaps they built larger quarters nearby. Located on the southern point of To Shima, an island in the middle of Nagashima Strait, the entrance to Yatsushiro Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-829; JP-6489; Admiralty M5106; NGA 11192.
* Ushibuka (Usibuka) (West)
1950. Active; focal plane 86 m (282 ft); two white flashes every 7 s. 11 m (36 ft) concrete post light rising from a semicircular 1-story concrete equipment room. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with photos, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the area. Ushibuka is a port at the southern tip of Amakusa Shimo Shima, and this is one of several lights near the port that may qualify as lighthouses. Located on a woody point at the western entrance to Ushibuka harbor. Site open, tower closed. JP-6480; Admiralty M5108; not listed by NGA.
To Shima Light
To Shima Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo

Amakusa City and District West Coast Lighthouses
* Sakitsu Ura (Sakitsu Kō)
1970. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the location. Located on the north side of Sakitsu Sound, a fjord-like bay on the west side of Amakusa Shimo Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-017; JP-6473; Admiralty M5143.8; NGA 11416.
* Ōe (Ōye) Kō
1956. Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6.5 m (21 ft) 2-story square concrete tower with gallery. The light is displayed from a short mast atop the gallery; a spotlight is shown on a nearby reef through a square 2nd-story window. Google has a very distant satellite view. Located on a promontory on the west side of the entrance to Oye Kō, about 1.5 km (1 mi) north of the entrance to Sakitsu Sound. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-450; JP-6469; Admiralty M5144; NGA 11424.
* Takahama
1971. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white flash every 4 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round concrete tower attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with photos, and Kiso has a good closeup photo (halfway down the page), but Google has only a very distant satellite view. Located on a headland on the south side of the entrance to Takahama harbor, on the west coast of Amakusa Shimo Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-614; JP-6467; Admiralty M5144.5; NGA 11436.
* Sikizaki Misaki
1951. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse including the photo at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, Kazunori Seki has a closeup, and Kiso also has a closeup photo (halfway down the page). Google has a very distant satellite view. Sikizaki, a club-shaped peninsula projecting from the northwest corner of Shimo-Amakusa, is part of the Amakusa National Park. Located at the western tip of the peninsula. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-557; JP-6463; Admiralty M5146; NGA 11448.
Kogame Iwa
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); one long and two short red flashes every 8 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with double gallery, mounted on a concrete pier. Lighthouse painted red. A photo is available (second photo on the page). Located on a shoal about 2 km (1.2 mi) off the north coast of Amakusa Shimo Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-6364; Admiralty M5147.4; NGA 11456.
Sikizaki Misaki Light
Sikizaki Misaki Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo
Gotsu Sho (Goto Syo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); quick-flashing white light. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower with double gallery, mounted on a concrete pier. Upper half of the lighthouse painted black, lower half red. A photo is available (first photo on the page). Located on a shoal about 1.5 km (1 mi) north of the Kogame Iwa Light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-6363; Admiralty M5148; NGA 11460.

Kami-Amakusa City Northern Lighthouse
* Yu Shima
1916. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse, another good photo is available, Kiso has a view from the sea (halfway down the page), and Google has a very distant satellite view. Yu Shima is an island about 1 km (0.6 mi) in diameter in the middle of Ariake Bay about 10 km (6 mi) west of Kami-Amakusa. The island is inhabited and is accessible by passenger ferry service from Misumi. The lighthouse is located on the western tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-764; JP-6375; Admiralty M5156; NGA 11528.

Uto City Lighthouses
Ōdo Kō
1972. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) tapered square skeletal tower, painted white. Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view. Located at the end of a long training wall at Ōdo harbor. Accessible in very calm weather by walking the pier, but it is a long walk. Site open, tower closed. JP-6427; Admiralty M5167; NGA 11588.
Sumiyoshi (Sumiyosi)
1933. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white light, 3 s on , 3 s off. 17 m (56 ft) 2-stage tower, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. The upper stage of the lighthouse (apparently added in 1985) is round; the lower stage (not shown in available photos) is octagonal. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse, Our Lighthouses has a page with good photos, Lighthouse-Japan.com also has a page with a photo, Kiso also has a photo (halfway down the page), another photo is available (third photo on the page), and Google has a very distant satellite view of the location. Located on a promontory on the south side of the entrance to Sumiyoshi, the port district of Uto. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-598; JP-6426; Admiralty M5168; NGA 11592.

Kumamoto City Lighthouses
* Hyakkan (Hyakkanishi) Kō
1952. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white light occulting once every 8 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower with double gallery, mounted on a square pyramidal concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with a good photo, Our Lighthouses also has a page with photos, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Hyakkan is the harbor associated with the prefectural capital, Kumamoto. Located on a point of land at the north side of the entrance to the harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-149; JP-6423; Admiralty M5170; NGA 11596.
Kawachi (Kawati)
1935. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) square concrete tower with gallery, flared at the top. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with photos, Our Lighthouses also has a page with photos, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on a bluff south of the entrance to Kawati harbor, about 10 km (6 mi) west northwest of Kumamoto. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-250; JP-6420; Admiralty M5172; NGA 11604.

Tamana District Lighthouses
Nagasu Kō
1981. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 8.5 m (26 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a small photo (#30 on the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the main (north) breakwater of Nagasu. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2103; JP-6420; Admiralty M5173.2; NGA 11616.

Arao City Lighthouse
* Miike Kō (Yatsuyama)
1951. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white flash every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story concrete service building. Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, Our Lighthouses also has a page with photos, Kiso has a good photo (halfway down the page), Linda Daigliesh has a 2009 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Miike Kō is the port for the city of Ōmuta, on the northeast side of Ariake Bay. Miike is in Fukuoka Prefecture, but the lighthouse is in Kamamoto Prefecture. Located atop a hill, Yotsuyama, on the south side of the harbor area. Site open, tower closed. JP-6414; Admiralty M5174; NGA 11628.
Miike Light
Miike Kō Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo

Lighthouses of Southern Fukuoka Prefecture

Ōmuta City Lighthouse
Miike (Ōmuta) Groin (2)
Date unknown (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 3 s. 11 m (43 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment room, centered on a large round stone pier. Entire lighthouse is white. Our Lighthouses has a page with good photos, a good closeup is available, and Google has a very distant satellite view. The Fukuoka Prefectural Library has posted a postcard view of the original light. Located at the end of a long groin on the north side of the entrance to Ōmuta. Accessible only by boat (the groin is not walkable). Site status unknown. JP-6412; Admiralty M5175.

Lighthouses of Southern Saga Prefecture


Fujitsu District Lighthouses
Kame Se
1958. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) two-stage concrete tower, painted black with one red horizontal band. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located in the center of the entrance to Tara harbor. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from shore. Site open, and nothing prevents climbing on the tower. JP-6391; Admiralty M5178.5; NGA 11656.
* Yatō Hana
1954. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post light attached to a small 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with photos, Our Lighthouses also has a page with photos, and Google has a satellite view. The light marks the north side of the entrance to Isahaya Bay, an embayment on the west side of Ariake Bay. Located about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of Isahaya. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-755; JP-6388; Admiralty M5179; NGA 11644.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: South: Kagoshima Area | West: Nagasaki Area

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted July 23, 2007. Checked and revised February 6, 2012. Lighthouses: 37. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.