Lighthouses of the Izu and Ogasawara Islands

Lighthouses of Japan's Izu and Ogasawara Islands

The Izu Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands stretching southward from Tokyo Bay. Izu Oshima, the largest of the islands, is also the northernmost. Several of the islands, including Izu Oshima, have had recent volcanic activity, and one of them, Miyakejima, had to be evacuated from 2000 to 2005 due to an ongoing eruption. Despite these dangers, the islands are popular tourist destinations accessible by ferry from Tokyo and from Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture. All the islands are included in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. For administrative purposes the islands are attached to Tokyo Prefecture, although they are closer geographically to Shizuoka and Chiba Prefectures.

Also included on this page are two lights of the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, located well to the south, 1000 km (620 mi) south of Tokyo. The Ogasawara Islands were actually settled by American and British sailors starting about 1830, but they were annexed by Japan in 1876. After World War II, they were administered by the U.S. from 1945 to 1968, when they were returned to Japanese control. Two of the islands, Chichi Jima and Haha Jima, are inhabited. There is no airport; access to the islands is by a ship that sails weekly from Tokyo.

In Japanese, the word for a lighthouse is toudai. The words saki and misaki are for capes and headlands, shima (also spelled sima or jima) is an island, wan is a bay, and ko is a harbor. Lighthouses in Japan are operated and maintained by the Japanese Coast Guard's Maritime Safety Agency.

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 F 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. Izu Islands lighthouses are on the page for Tokyo Prefecture.

Misty's Japanese Lighthouse Tour

Photos and a few notes for lighthouses in all parts of the country. There are pages for two Izu Islands lighthouses on the site's Tokyo page.

Capes and Lighthouses

Entirely in Japanese, this site has many fine photos of major lighthouses throughout Japan, including three of the Izu Islands lighthouses.

Izu Oshima Light
Japanese Coast Guard photo

Izu Oshima Lighthouses
Note: Izu Oshima is the largest and northernmost of the islands, lying in the mouth of Sagami Bay and visible from mnay points on the mainland. With a permanent population of about 8600, the island is a popular resort. It is accessible by air from Tokyo and by ferry from Tokyo and from Atami in Shizuoka prefecture.
Nii Shima (Niijima) Area Lighthouses
Note: Niijima is located south southwest of Izu Oshima. With a permanent population of about 2700, the island is smaller and not as well known as Izu Oshima. It is accessible by air from Tokyo, and ferries from Tokyo to Izu Oshima continue on to Niijima. It is also accessible by ferry from Shimoda in Shizuoka prefecture.
* To Shima: 1982. Active; focal plane 66 m (217 ft); white flash every 6 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. To Shima is a small island north of Nii Shima and about 18 km (11 mi) southwest of Izu Oshima. Located on a bluff at the northern end of the island. Site open, tower closed. JP-3208; Admiralty F6273.5; NGA 5552.
* Niishima (Niijima) Ko: 1990. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical tower with a flared top. Entire lighthouse painted red. Located at the end of the jetty at Niishima Ko, the port of Nii Shima, on the west side of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-415; JP-3208.5; Admiralty F6272.5; NGA 5558.
Nii Shima (Niijima): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 101 m (331 ft); white flash every 8 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Located on the southern tip of Nii Shima. Site and tower closed; the lighthouse is on a military base. ARLHS JAP-412; JP-3209; Admiralty F6272; NGA 5556.
* Nobusi Ko: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal concrete tower with watch room but no gallery. Entire lighthouse painted red. A photo by John Lander is available. Located at the end of the jetty at Nobusi Ko, a port on the north side of Shikine Shima, a smaller island about 5 km (3 mi) west of the southern tip of Nii Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-424; JP-3209.8; Admiralty F6272.8; NGA 5562.
* Shikine Shima: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower, rising from a 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. A good photo is available. Located at the end of the jetty on the south side of Shikine Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-1470; Admiralty F6273; NGA 5560.
* Kozushima Ko: 1970. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 5 s. 10 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower. Entire lighthouse painted red. A distant view is available. Located at the end of the jetty at Kozushima Ko, a port on the west side of Kozu Shima, an island about 13 km (8 mi) southwest of Nii Shima. Site open, tower closed. JP-3211; Admiralty F6274.4; NGA 5568.
* Kozu Shima: 1951. Active; focal plane 121 m (397 ft); flash every 12 s, white or red depending on direction. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. Located at the southwestern tip of Kozu Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-280; JP-3212; Admiralty F6274; NGA 5564.
Miyakejima Lighthouses
Note: Miyakejima is an actively volcanic island, but it has a permanent population of about 2900. Eruptions forced everyone from the island in 2000, but residents were allowed to return in 2005. Air service from Tokyo was resumed in April 2008, and the island is also accessible by overnight ferry from Tokyo.
* Izu Misaki: 1909. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10m (33 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Rebecca Lowson has a closeup photo. This little lighthouse, built of roughly cut stone blocks, is a throwback to a nearly-vanished era of Japanese lighthouse history. Located at the northwestern tip of Miyakejima, about 32 km (20 mi) southeast of Nii Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-198; JP-3213; Admiralty F6276; NGA 4920.
* Satado Misaki: 1954. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. Capes and Lighthouses has a page with several photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff on the east side of Miyakejima. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed from outside the fence. ARLHS JAP-540; JP-3214; Admiralty F6275; NGA 4924.
* Izu Miyake Ko: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. The lighthouse can be seen in aerial photo of the harbor during the 2000 eruption of the Miyakejima volcano, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the jetty at the Miyake harbor, a short distance south of the Satado Misaki lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-1462; Admiralty F6276.1; NGA 4928.
Hachijojima Lighthouses
Note: Hachijojima is an island about 300 km (190 mi) south of Tokyo and about 100 km (62 mi) south southeast of Miyakejima. This is one of the most populous of the islands, with a population of about 8600. It is accessible by air or by overnight ferry from Tokyo.
* Ogosi Hana: 1961. Active; focal plane 99 m (325 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Capes and Lighthouses has a page with several photos, and Hirohiro Akabane has a distant view. Located on the northwestern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-452; JP-3219; Admiralty F6279.6; NGA 4940.
* Kaminato Ko North: 1990. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with flared top. Entire lighthouse is white. Located at the end of a breakwater at the traditional harbor of Kaminato, on the northeast side of Miyakejima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JAP-217; JP-3221; Admiralty F6278.1; NGA 4948.

Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands Lighthouses Futami Ko: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); white flash every 4 s; also a continuous light, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available. Located on a hill behind the harbor of Futami, the main town of Chichi Jima. Site status unknown. JP-3227; Admiralty F8346; NGA 4964 (flashing light) and 4968 (directional light).
Haha Jima: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); continuous light, white, red or green depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) white tower. No photo available. Located behind the harbor, on the southwestern side of the island. Site status unknown. JP-3229; Admiralty F8350; NGA 4972.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

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