Lighthouses of Japan: Sasebo Area

Nagasaki Prefecture occupies the southwestern side of the island of Kyūshū and includes many islands offshore in the East China Sea and Korea Strait. This page includes lighthouses of the Sasebo and Matsuura areas in the northern half of the prefecture, as well as several islands off the coast.There are separate pages for the Nagasaki area to the south, for the island of Tsushima, located halfway between Kyūshū and South Korea, and for the Gotō Islands, an archipelago in the East China Sea west of Sasebo. All these territories are administered by Nagasaki Prefecture. 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. JCG 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 - Nagasaki A comprehensive site, although almost entirely in Japanese. There's also a page on Lighthouses by R. H. Brunton listing the earliest Western-style Japanese lighthouses. Our Lighthouses of Nagasaki Prefecture A comprehensive collection of photos of Nagasaki lighthouses. Kiso's Lighthouses This site has many excellent photos of Japanese lighthouses. Lighthouse-Japan.com - Nagasaki This site has good photos and background information for more than a dozen Nagasaki area lighthouses. Misty's Japanese Lighthouse Tour - Nagasaki This web site has photos of several Nagasaki area lighthouses. Sasebo Coast Guard Office - Gallery This page includes a dozen photos of lighthouses. 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.

Ōbae Hana Light, Hirado; Japanese Coast Guard photo

Sasebo Area Lighthouses

Saikai City Lighthouses

Ohiki Shima (Ō Se)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a skerry about 11 km (7 mi) west southwest of Seto Kō. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2243; Admiralty M5207; NGA 11840.

Kashira Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Our Lighthouses has a page with distant views, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a skerry about 3 km (1.8 mi) south of Saikai. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2197; JCG-6324; Admiralty M5207.6; NGA 11856.

* Seto Fukushima Kō (South Breakwater)

1966. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the south breakwater of Seto harbor in Saikai. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-6323; Admiralty M5208; NGA 11852.

Seto Fukushima Kō North Breakwater

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the north breakwater of Seto harbor in Saikai. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2261; JCG-6322; Admiralty M5208.4; NGA 11848.

Nezumi Se

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); six quick white flashes followed by one long white flash every 15 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower with a large round equipment section. Upper half of the tower painted yellow, lower half black. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a rock about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) west of the Saikai waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-6319; Admiralty M5209; NGA 11844

Kabuto Shima (Kabutojima) (2?)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round white concrete tower. Our Lighthouses has a distant view, but no closeup photo is available and Google has only a blur in its satellite view. Located on a reef in the channel between Ōshima and the mainland of the Nishisonogi Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-803; JCG-6314; Admiralty M5210; NGA 11872.

Mitoko Shima (Mitokojima)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of Sakito. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-363; JCG-6305; Admiralty M5211; NGA 11900.

Ōdate (O-Date) Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 85 m (279 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an isolated high island about 20 km (13 mi) west of Mitoko Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-468; JCG-6308; Admiralty M5204; NGA 11864.

Yoko Sone

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); six quick white flashes followed by one long white flash every 15 s. 24 m (79 ft) tower. Upper half of the tower painted yellow, lower half black. No photo available. Located on an isolated rock 25 km (15 mi) west southwest of Mitoko Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M5224.5; NGA 11906.

Sasebo City Lighthouses

Huku Se

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 24 m (79 ft) tower, painted black with a red horizontal band. No photo available. Located on an isolated rock 20 km (13 mi) west of Kogo Saki. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M5226; NGA 11908.

Omodaka (Shira Se) Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 4 s; a red flash is shown over dangerous rocks to the east. 7 m (23 ft) round concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. No closeup photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Kogo Saki. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2264; JCG-6256; Admiralty M5230; NGA 11912. Kōgo Saki Date unknown. Active; focal plane 64 m (210 ft); white flash every 6 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. The Sasebo Coast Guard office has the photo at right and another photo, Our Lighthouses has a page with excellent photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory marking the north side of the entrance to Sasebo Bay, about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of the city. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-271; JCG- 6261; Admiralty M5232; NGA 11920. * Huis ten Bosch 1992 (?). Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery attached to a 1-story building. Entire lighthouse is white; the attached building is gray. A distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Huis ten Bosch is a Dutch theme park on the south side of Sasebo, facing the almost totally-enclosed waters of Ōmura Bay. The park is named for a Dutch royal residence at The Hague (the name means "house in the woods"), and it commemorates a Dutch trading post established at Sasebo in 1609. The lighthouse is a smaller-scale replica of the well-known Dutch lighthouse at Marken, northeast of Amsterdam. Located at the end of the south breakwater of Huis ten Bosch. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-6292.2.

Kōgo Saki Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo

Sasebo Benten Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 3 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) square skeletal tower, mounted on a huge pyramidal concrete base. Sasebo, with its protected harbor, is a traditional naval base for Japan and (since World War II) for the U.S. Navy as well. Lighthouse painted white. Located on an islet in the center of Sasebo harbor. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2165; JCG- 6276; Admiralty M5236; NGA 11928.

Ushigakubi

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white light, 3 s on, 4 s off, 3 s on, 3 s off. 12m (39 ft) round tapered tower with a small equipment shelter in the base. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the southwestern tip of Hashira Iwa, a 5 km (3 mi) long, S-shaped island about 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Sasebo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2291; JCG-6243; Admiralty M5240.4; NGA 11960.

Shimokareki (Simo-Kareki) Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Kiso has a distant view (almost halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Shimokareki Shima is a narrow, 700 m (0.44 mi) long island in the middle of the southern entrance to Hirado Bay. Located at the southern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-565; JCG-6237; Admiralty M5241; NGA 11972.

Hirado and Matsuura Area Lighthouses

Hirado City Lighthouses
Note: Hirado Shima is an island about 27 km (17 mi) long, separated from the mainland of Kyūshū by Hirado Bay. At its northern end, the bay shrinks to the narrow Hirado Strait. The island is accessible by the Hirado Bridge, completed in 1977. Hirado City includes Hirado Island, several other islands, and a section of the mainland opposite the island.

Aosa Saki 1944. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Our Lighthouses has a page with good photos, Kiso has a photo (almost halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the tip of a promontory of the mainland at the southern entrance to the Hirado Strait. Apparently accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2157; JCG-6232; Admiralty M5242.4; NGA 12020. Ogami Shima Date unknown. Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft); white flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Tomoyasu Araki has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop a small island off the southwestern tip of Hirado Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-473; JCG-6219; Admiralty M5240; NGA 11984. * Hirado Hayahuku Se 1988. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); continuous white light. 11 m (36 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse illuminates a reef about 800 m (1/2 mi) offshore. Located on the south side of the entrance to Haifukucho harbor on the west coast of Hirado Shima. Site open, tower closed. JCG-6216.8; NGA 11994.5. Nagase Hana Date unknown. Active; focal plane 109 m (358 ft); white flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Our Lighthouses has a page with excellent photos, Kiso has a photo (1/3 the way down the page), but Google has only a very distant satellite view. Located atop a cliff at the southwestern point of Ikitsuki Shima, a smaller island off the northeastern corner of Hirado Shima. The island is accessible from Hirado by a bridge. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2234; JCG-6208.5; Admiralty M5239.55; NGA 12014. ** Ōbae Hana 1958. Active; focal plane 101 m (331 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 10.5 m (35 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery and an external stairway. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has photos (one is at the top of this page), Lighthouse-Japan.com has a good page for the lighthouse, Our Lighthouses has a page with good photos, Mike Beale has a 2007 photo, Paul Latimer has a view of the site, Kiso has two photos 1/3 the way down the page), and Google has a distant satellite view. Located atop a spectacular vertical cliff on the northern tip of Ikitsuki Shima, a smaller island off the northeastern corner of Hirado Shima. Accessible by a hiking trail popular for its sweeping views of the East China Sea. Site open, and visitors can climb the stairs to the gallery. ARLHS JPN-448; JCG- 6209; Admiralty M5239.5; NGA 12012.

Ogami Shima Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo

Yoko Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 4 s, 12 m (39 ft) concrete post light rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the southern tip of Yoko Shima, a small island about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of Ōbae Hana. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M5250.4; NGA 12064.

* Ikitsuki Ichibuura Kō

1964. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 5 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 at the end of the north breakwater of the Ichibuura harbor on the east side of Ikitsuki Shima. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-6210; Admiralty M5239; NGA 12008.

* Tachiura (Ikitsuki Shima)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo is available (also showing the Ikitsuki Shima bridge), and Google has an indistinct satellite view of the location. Located at the end of the north breakwater of Tachiura, a short distance north of the bridge. Probably accessible by walking the pier (although it's a long walk). Site open, tower closed. JCG-6211.1; NGA 12002.

* Usuka Wan (Usukawan) Kō

1976. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 5 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. Usuka Wan is a bay on the northwestern coast of Hirado Shima. Located at the end of the west breakwater of the Usuka Wan harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-6216; Admiralty M5250.6; NGA 12040.

Futame (2)

1970 (station established 1945). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); continuous white light. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with lantern; the light is shown through a square window. Entire lighthouse is white. Our Lighthouses has a page with excellent photos, and Google has a very fuzzy satellite view. This light is on the northeastern end of Hirado Island about 600 m (0.38 mi) west of the Hiro Se lighthouse. Site status unknown. JCG-6221; Admiralty M5249.

Hiro Se

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5s. 7 m (23 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. The tower is barely seen in Google's satellite view of the reef. Located at the northern tip of an island in the north entrance to Hirado Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2176; JCG-6222; Admiralty M5248.2; NGA 12044.

Azuchi (Azuti) Ō Shima Lighthouses
Note: Azuchi Ō Shima (one of many Ō Shimas in Japan) is an island about 8 km (5 mi) long and about 9 km (5.5 mi) north of Hirado Shima. The island is governed as part of Hirado City.

Umano Kashira (Umanokasira) Saki Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white light occulting once every 8 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the west end of Azuti Ō Shima. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-715(=2288); JCG-6205; Admiralty M5253.4; NGA 12080. Azuchi Nagasaki Hana (Azuti Nagasaki Bana) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white light occulting twice every 12 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the northern tip of Azuti Ō Shima. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2231; JCG-6202; Admiralty M5251; NGA 12076. Hutagami (Futagami) Shima Date unknown. Active; focal plane 99 m (325 ft); flash every 10 s, alternately green and white. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard's photo is at right, the Sasebo Coast Guard Office has additional photos, and Kiso has a distant view from the sea (near the bottom of the page), but Google has only a very distant satellite view. Hutagami Shima is an isolated rock island about 10 km (6 mi) north of Azuti Ō Shima. Located at the highest point of the island, near the southwestern end. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site and tower closed. JCG-6201; Admiralty M5258; NGA 12704. Matsuura City Lighthouse * Tsu (Tu) Saki 1950. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white light occulting once every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) square concrete tower with gallery and an external stairway that spirals around the tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Our Lighthouses has a page with excellent photos, and Lighthouse-Japan.com has a good page for the lighthouse, but the tower is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located at the end of a long peninsula about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Matsuura. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-683; JCG-5926; Admiralty M5254; NGA 12084.

Hutagami Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo

Uokono Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 69 m (226 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, and Google has only a very distant satellite view. Located on an island off the western tip of the larger island of Takeshima, in the entrance to Matsuura Bay about 10 km (6 mi) north of Matsuura. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M5254.5; NGA 12092.

* Tsukinokawa Kō

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the location. Located at the east end of the detached outer breakwater of Tsukinokawa harbor in Matsuura. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. JCG-5920; Admiralty M5254.95; NGA 12088.

Kai Se

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a reef off the harbor of Takashima, a large island in northeastern Matsuura. The island is accessible by a bridge on highway 190. Lighthouse accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2193; JCG-5902; Admiralty M5254.8; NGA 12100.

Iki City (Iki Shima) Lighthouses
Note: Iki Shima is an island in the Tsushima Strait about 32 km (20 mi) north of Matsuura and about 18 km (11 mi) northwest of Hadano Misaki in Saga Prefecture. The island is about 20 km by 15 km (13 by 9 mi) and is accessible by air or by ferry from Fukuoka.

Gonoura Kō

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post light attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo is available (not quite halfway down the page), and a 2011 photo is also available, but Google has only a distant satellite view. Gonoura (misspelled Gonovra by NGA) is the terminal for ferries linking Iki Shima to the mainland of Kyūshū. Located at the north end of a detached breakwater of Gonoura harbor, on the south coast of Iki Shima. Accessible only by boat, but there's a good view from the ferries. Site status unknown. Admiralty M5259.27; NGA 12689.

Naga Shima (Iki Nagashima)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8 m (26 ft) square concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available. Located on an island off the southwestern tip of Iki Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-160; JCG-5935; Admiralty M5259; NGA 12624.

Wakamiya Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 106 m (348 ft); white light occulting once every 8 s. 10 m (33 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Several large comunications towers are located at the station. No closeup photo available; Kiso has a distant view (about 1/5 the way down the page), and Google has a very fuzzy satellite view. Information is needed on this historic lighthouse. Located on an island off the northwestern tip of Iki Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-737; JCG-5940; Admiralty M5260; NGA 12640.

* Uoturi Saki

1963. Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff above the northeastern point of Iki Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-719; JCG-5946; Admiralty M5260.4; NGA 12664.

* Ashibe (Asibe) Kō (2)

Date unknown (station established 1916). Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white light occulting once every 8 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff above the south side of the entrance to Ashibe, on the east coast of Iki Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-027; JCG- 5949; Admiralty M5261; NGA 12668.

Na Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) concrete post light attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. No closeup photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island at the west end of a reef about 7 km (4 mi) east of the southeastern tip of Iki Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-811; JCG-5927; Admiralty M5261.9; NGA 12712.

* Iruka Saki

1967. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white light occulting twice every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower attached to a small 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Kiso has a distant view (about 1/5 the way down the page), and Google has a very distant satellite view of the cape. Located on the southern tip of Iki Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-177; JCG- 5932; Admiralty M5261.74; NGA 12700.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Tsushima | East: Northern Kyūshū | South: Nagasaki Area | West: Gotō Islands

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted August 6, 2007. Checked and revised February 26, 2012. Lighthouses: 41. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.