Lighthouses of Japan: Southern Hokkaidō

Hokkaidō is the northernmost of the four main islands of Japan. It is very roughly triangular in shape, facing northeast on the Sea of Okhotsk, southeast on the Pacific Ocean, and west on the Sea of Japan. It is separated from Honshū to the south by the Tsugaru Strait and from Russian Sakhalin to the north by the La Pérouse or Sōya Strait. The entire island forms a single prefecture, which is easily the largest prefecture of Japan.

This page covers lighthouses of the southern coast of Hokkaidō in Oshima subprefecture. It includes lighthouses facing the Pacific Ocean and the Tsugaru Strait.

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. Lighthouses in Oshima subprefecture are maintained by the Hakodate Coast Guard office.

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 - Hokkaidō
Photos and data for Hokkaidō lighthouses.
Lighthouse of Japan - Hokkaidō
Another site with excellent photos and text in Japanese.
Misty's Japanese Lighthouse Tour - Hokkaidō
Photos and brief notes in English.
Kiso's Lighthouses -Hokkaidō
This site has many excellent photos of Japanese lighthouses.
Form of a Lighthouse
Another site with many photos of lighthouses in northern Japan.
The Hokkaidō Lighthouse
Photos and data for many of the lighthouses.
Lighthouses in Hokkaido Prefecture
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Hakodate Section Lighthouses
Photos and data from the Hakodate Coast Guard Station web site.
Japan: Modern Lighthouses
Historic postcard views posted by Michel Forand.
The Famous Fifty Lighthouses
Photos of the lighthouses voted most famous in Japan, posted by the Eighth Coast Guard Region. One of the fifty (Esan Misaki) stands in the area covered by this page.

Esan Misaki Light
Esan Misaki Light, Hakodate, June 2008
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Ryu-two
Futami District Lighthouse
Yakumo Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the east breakwater of Yakumo, a port on the central west coast of Uchiura Bay. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1014; JCG-0049; Admiralty M6741.3; NGA 0824.

Kayabe District Lighthouses
Ebiya (Ishiya) Kō (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8.5 m (28 ft); green flash every 3 s. 5 m (17 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has an indistinct satellite view that seems to show a post light; the present light seems larger. Located at the end of the east breakwater of Ishiya, a port in the Mori municipality on the southwest coast of Uchiura Bay. Site status unknown. JCG-0048.1; Admiralty M6741.05; NGA 0816.5.
Sawara (Sunahara) Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower. Entire lighthouse is red. A distant view shows a rainbow over the light, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the east end of the original breakwater of Sawara, about 3.2 km (2 mi) southwest of the Suna Saki lighthouse. Site status unknown. JCG-0047; Admiralty M6740; NGA 0812.
Suna Saki
1952. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) 2-stage round concrete tower with two galleries, painted white with a narrow red horizontal band at the top of each stage. A photo is at right, Lighthouse of Japan has good photos, Misty's Tour has a photo taken at sunset, additional photos are available, and Google has a satellite view. This light appears to have been doubled in height by addition of the second stage. Located on Suna Saki ("Sand Cape"), which marks the south side of the entrance to Uchiura Wan (opposite Chikiu Misaki), about 2 km (1.2 mi) northeast of Sawara. Accessible by a dirt road about 2 km (1.2 mi) long; 4WD recommended. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-599; JP-0046; Admiralty M6738; NGA 0828.
* Shikabe (Sikaba) Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 3 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A closeup photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the east breakwater at Shikabe, a town about 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Suna Saki. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-0045; Admiralty M6735; NGA 0832.

Hakodate City Lighthouses
* Usujiri (Usuziri Wan) North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 9 m (29 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Yoshihiko Hayashi has a distant view across the harbor, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of the original north breakwater of Uzujiri, a fishing port on the north side of the Kameda Peninsula. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1006; JCG-0043; Admiralty M6733; NGA 0836.

Suna Saki Light, October 2006
anonymous Flickr Creative Commons photo (no longer online)
* Osatsubetsu (Osatsube) Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 5 s. 9 m (29 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of the main breakwater of Osatsubetsu, a fishing port about 8 km (5 mi) southeast of Usujiri. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-944; JCG-0041; Admiralty M6731; NGA 0848.
* Todohokke Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 4 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of the main breakwater of Todohokke, a small port on the north side of Esan Misaki. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-994; JCG-0040; Admiralty M6730; NGA 0852.
** Esan Misaki (3)
Date unknown (station established 1890). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 19 m (62 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A photo is at right, Lighthouse of Japan has excellent photos, there's another page for the lighthouse, Misty's Tour also has a photo, John Lander has a 2009 photo, another photo is available, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the eastern entrance to the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Hokkaidō from Honshū. The first lighthouse was a 15 m (50 ft) cast iron tower; it was replaced in 1900 by a hexagonal wood tower seen in Forand's postcard view. The second lighthouse was apparently replaced after being damaged by strafing fire from U.S. planes on 15 July 1945, during the last days of World War II. In 1995 the area around the lighthouse was developed as a tourist attraction with a Lighthouse Family Museum and trails to nearby volcanic hot springs. Located on a sharp promontory about 40 km (25 mi) east of Hakodate. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-061; JP-0039; Admiralty M6729; NGA 0856.
Yamasedomari Kō South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. Bing has a satellite view. Located on the south breakwater of a small harbor on the south side of Cape Esan. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1015; JP-0037; Admiralty M6727; NGA 0860.
* Ōma Gyoko (Ōshima) Kō North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. Bing has a satellite view. Located on the east breakwater of a small harbor on the east side of Hiura Misaki. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JP-0036; Admiralty M6726.
Hiura Misaki
1951. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting twice every 12 s. 10 m (33 ft) round conical tower attached to a small equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, the Lighthouse of Japan has good photos, Misty's Tour has a photo, and additional photos are available, but Google's distant satellite view does not show the tower. Located on a rocky promontory just east of Toi and 13 km (8 mi) southwest of Esan Misaki. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-128; JP-0035; Admiralty M6725; NGA 0864.
* Toi Kō South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a satellite view. Located on the south breakwater of a small harbor on the east side of Hiura Misaki. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-996; JP-0034; Admiralty M6724.4; NGA 0868.
Hiura Misaki Light
Hiura Misaki Light, Hakodate, September 2006
Panoramio photo copyright T_ojisan; used by permission
* Shiokubi (Siokubi) Misaki
Date unknown (station established 1893). Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. Lighthouse of Japan has excellent photos, Misty's Tour also has photos, a distant view shows the steepness of the cape, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the narrowest point of the Tsugaru Strait; from here it is 18 km (11 mi) to Oma Saki, the extreme northern tip of Honshū. The station escaped serious damage in the U.S. strafing run of 15 July 1945. Located on a bluff above the coastal highway about 25 km (15 mi) east of Hakodate. Site status unknown, but the lighthouse clearly can be viewed from nearby. ARLHS JPN-572; JP-0032; Admiralty M6724; NGA 0876.
* Hakodate Fishery Harbor (Hakodate Gyoko) West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two red flashes every 5 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo is available (3/4 the way down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater of the fishing port on the southwest side of Hakodate. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-0027; Admiralty M6715; NGA 0896.
Hakodate Outer Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo (left photo in sixth row) is available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located at the northwest end of a short outer breakwater, outside the west breakwater of Hakodate. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. JCG-0019.5; Admiralty M6707.5; NGA 0898.
Hakodate West Breakwater (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo is at right, another photo and a third photo (right photo in sixth row) are available, and Bing has a satellite view. This light and the next one flank the main entrance to the port of Hakodate, where ferries arrive throughout the day from Aomori on Honshū. Forand has a postcard view of an earlier light near this location. Located at the north end of a detached breakwater. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-862; JCG-0020; Admiralty M6706; NGA 0900.
Hakodate North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, probably with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo (last photo on the page) and two more photos (2/3 the way down the page) are available, and Bing has a satellite view. This light and the previous one flank the main entrance to the port of Hakodate, where ferries arrive throughout the day from Aomori on Honshū. Located at the south end of a detached breakwater. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-860; JCG-0019; Admiralty M6707; NGA 0904.
Hakodate North Auxiliary Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. Dekishi Love has a 2007 photo, another photo (left photo in second row) is available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of a detached breakwater off the north end of the north breakwater of Hakodate harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-859; JCG-0017; Admiralty M6707.4; NGA 0908.
Hakodate West Breakwater Light
Hakodate West Breakwater Light, Hakodate, May 2007
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by tsushima
Hakodate Training Wall Number 3
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); continuous green light with a brighter flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) tapered square skeletal tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Two photos (1/3 the way down the page) are available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the south end of a breakwater on the northwest side of Hakodate harbor. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-861; JCG-0018; Admiralty M6708; NGA 0912.

Kamiiso District Lighthouses
* Kattoshi Misaki (2?)
Date unknown (station established 1885). Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white light, 6 s on, 4 s off. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a small 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. A fog bell used from 1892 to 1938 is mounted outside the lighthouse. A closeup photo is at right, the Lighthouse of Japan site has good photos, a 2010 closeup photo and additional photos are available, Kiso has a closeup photo (click on the second photo on the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff on the west side of the entrance to Hakodate Bay from the Tsugaru Strait, about 20 km (13 mi) southwest of the city by the coastal highway. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-243; JP-0012; Admiralty M6702; NGA 0928.
Yagoshi Misaki
1957. Active; focal plane 96 m (315 ft); white flash every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a small 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a high promontory on the northwest side of the Tsugaru Strait about 8 km (5 mi) south of Shuriuchi. May be accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-745; JP-0005; Admiralty M6698; NGA 0944.

Matsumae District Lighthouses
* Fukushima (Hukushima) Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of the east (main) breakwater of Fukushima, a fishing port about 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Cape Shirakami. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-875; JCG-0004; Admiralty M6695; NGA 0948.
* Yoshioka Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of the east (main) breakwater of Yoshioka, a fishing port about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Cape Shirakami. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1024; JCG-0002; Admiralty M6693; NGA 0956.
Kattoshi Misaki Light
Kattoshi Misaki Light, Hakodate, May 2010
Panoramio photo copyright pincyapo; permission requested
Shirakami (Sirakami) Misaki (2)
Date unknown (station established 1888). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); flash every 30 s, alternately red and white. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. This lighthouse has an old-style lantern with a traditional high-peaked roof, a feature now rare in Japan. A Coast Guard photo is at right, the Lighthouse of Japan site has excellent photos, Misty's Tour has several photos, additional photos are available, and Bing has a satellite view. In late 2008 or early 2009 the lighthouse was repainted, and it now has a white lantern and two red bands. Cape Shirakami, at the end of the Matsumae peninsula, is the southernmost tip of Hokkaidō and the western entrance to Tsugaru Strait. Koichi Yokota's photo showing the new daymark is at right, and a closeup is available. Forand has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse. The lighthouse stands just above the coastal highway (which plunges through two tunnels below the light), but unfortunately parking at the gate is very limited. Located at the point of the cape. Site gated, although many visitors step over the gate; tower closed. ARLHS JPN-576; JP-0001; Admiralty M6692; NGA 0960.
* Matsumae (Fukuyama)
1889. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 7 m (23 ft) lantern atop a 1-story keeper's house, painted white. The Lighthouse of Japan site has several photos of what its author calls Hokkaido's ugliest lighthouse. Misty's Tour has several closeup photos, additional photos are available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on Benten Shima, an island sheltering Matsumae harbor, about 10 km (6 mi) west northwest of Cape Shirakami. The island is accessible by causeway. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-333; JP-0641; Admiralty M6690; NGA 0964.
Matsumae Kō Outer Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Kiso has a photo (on the right, 2/3 of the way down the page), and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater, which extends eastward from the island on which the Matsumae lighthouse is built. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-904; JCG-0642; Admiralty M6691; NGA 0968.
* Tatehama Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a satellite view. NGA misspells the name "Tatchama." Located at the end of the west (main) breakwater of Tatehama harbor, about 6 km (3.5 mi) northwest of Matsumae. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-986; JCG-0640; Admiralty M7042; NGA 0972.

Shirakami Misaki Light, October 2010
Flickr photo copyright Koichi Yokota; permission requested
Yoshiga Shima (Yoshishima)
1958. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) round conical tower attached to a small equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Additional photos are available, Misty's Tour has photos taken from the mainland, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island just offshore about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Matsumae. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1023; JCG-0639; Admiralty M7044; NGA 0976.
* Satsumae Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of the west (main) breakwater of Satsumae harbor, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) north of Tatehama. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-963; JCG-0638; Admiralty M7040; NGA 0980.
* Shizuura (Sizuura) Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of the west (main) breakwater of Shizuura harbor, about 2 km (1.25 mi) north of Satsumae. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-977; JCG-0637; Admiralty M7039; NGA 0984.
* Era Kō West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of the west (original main) breakwater of Era harbor, about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Shizuura. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-850; Admiralty M7034; JCG-0634; NGA 1004.
Era Kō Outer Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of the detached outer breakwater of Era harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-0633.8; Admiralty M7034.2.
Haraguchi Oiwa
1965. Active; focal plane 34 m (111 ft); continuous white light. 6 m (20 ft) post with a large semicircular lantern structure. Lighthouse painted white with one red horizontal band. Additional photos are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 5 km (3 mi) north of Era. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-2630; JCG-0633; Admiralty M7033; NGA 1012.

Matsumae Koshima and Matsumae Ōshima Lighthouses
Matsumae Koshima (Matsumae Kojima)
1923. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); three white flashes every 30 s. 24 m (79 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Keeper's house and other light station buildings. A Coast Guard photo is at right, a 2008 photo is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. In 2001, the lighthouse was equipped with an experimental "hybrid" power system that combined solar panels with a wind turbine and a generator powered by wave action. However, a photos taken by a 2010 visitor show that only the solar panels remain. Matsumae Kojima is an island in the Sea of Japan about 25 km (15 mi) west southwest of Matsumae. Protected as a wildlife preserve, the island also has a harbor of refuge for fishermen. Located at the northeastern point of the island, adjacent to the harbor of refuge. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-334; JP-0643; Admiralty M6686; NGA 0992.
Matsumae Ōshima
1982. Active; focal plane 135 m (443 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a small service building. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the location. Matsumae Ōshima is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Sea of Japan about 50 km (30 mi) west of Matsumae. The island is protected as a wildlife preserve; visitors require a special permit to land on the island. The lighthouse is located on the southwestern side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-335; JP-0644; Admiralty M6684; NGA 0988.
Matsumae Koshima Light
Koshima Light, Matsumae, 2001
Japanese Coast Guard photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: Northeast: Southeastern Hokkaidō | South: Northern Honshū | Northwest: Southwestern Hokkaidō

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Posted July 10, 2006. Checked and revised May 23, 2013. Lighthouses: 36. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.