Lighthouses of Japan: Miyagi

This page lists lighthouses of Miyagi prefecture on the northeastern coast of Honshū, Japan's largest island. The northern coast of Miyagi, facing east on the Pacific Ocean, is rugged and spectacular. The southern coast faces Sendai Bay and includes the important ports of Ishinomaki and Sendai.

This coast was devastated by the great Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011. The major lighthouses are high enough above the sea to escape the tsunami; all were damaged by the earthquake to some extent, but they have been returned to service. The harbor lights, however, were mostly overturned or destroyed by the tsunami, and repairs to harbor facilities will take much more time.

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. On Honshū there is usually one Coast Guard Section Office in each prefecture. That is the case in this region, with section offices at Miyagi and Fukushima.

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 - Miyagi
A comprehensive site, although almost entirely in Japanese.
Lighthouse of Japan - Miyagi
Another comprehensive site, in Japanese, with pages for each prefecture.
Lighthouses - Miyagi
A large collection of Japanese lighthouse photos, with pages for each prefecture.
Misty's Japanese Lighthouse Tour - Miyagi
Photos and brief notes for lighthouses in all parts of the country.
Lighthouses in Japan
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Miyagi Lighthouse Introduction
Information and photos posted by the Miyagi Coast Guard Office.
Lighthouse Photos - Miyagi
Photos posted by the Coast Guard Second Region office.
The Famous Fifty Lighthouses
Photos of the lighthouses voted most famous in Japan, posted by the Eighth Coast Guard Region. Three of the fifty stand in Miyagi (Todo Saki, Kuro Saki, and Kinkasan).

Rikuzen Osaki Saki Light
Rikuzen Osaki Saki Light, Kesennuma
Japanese Coast Guard Miyagi Office photo
Kesennuma City Lighthouses
Note: The Rikuzen Coast of northeastern Miyagi Prefecture is an extension of the Rikuchū Coast of Iwate Prefecture, with the same rugged topography: a series of steep headlands jutting eastward into the Pacific. Sheltered between two of these headlands, Kesennuma is a fishing port with a population of about 70,000. It was damaged severely by the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent fires.
* Rikuzen O Saki (Rikuzen Osaki Saki)
1953. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete post light, rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is above, Lighthouses of Japan also has a photo, Lighthouse in Japan has a page with good photos, an evening photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the tip of the Karakuwa Peninsula about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Kesennuma. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-509; JP-1699; Admiralty M6570; NGA 4236.
Kara Shima
1966. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island in the eastern arm of Kesennuma Wan, about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Rikuzen O Saki. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1151; JP-1700; Admiralty M6568; NGA 4240.
* Tō Wan (Kesennuma, Yoroi Saki)
1981. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); continuous light, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, rising from one end of a 1-story building and supporting a large square room. Clouds block Google's satellite view. The nature of this unusual building is not known. Located at the head of the eastern arm of Kesennuma Wan, guiding ships toward the port. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-254; JP-1702; Admiralty M6567.4; NGA 4272.
* Jodan (Sannohama)
1957. Active; focal plane 21 m (62 ft); white flash every 4 s. 6 m (20 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a promontory at Sannohama, on the east side of the entrance to Kesennuma harbor. Site open (some local guidance may be needed to find it), tower closed. JP-1704; Admiralty M6566.5; NGA 4256.
Kesennuma Range Rear
1971. Active; focal plane 108 m (354 ft); continuous red light. 18 m (56 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The front light is on a much shorter skeletal tower. Located on forested heights on the east side of upper Kesennuma Wan, opposite the harbor. Site status unknown. JP-1709; Admiralty M6567.21; NGA 4264.
* Rikuzen Ō Shima (2)
1970 (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with three galleries, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment and fog signal building. Fog horn (two blasts every 30 s). Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Lighthouses of Japan also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the southern tip of an island about 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of Kesennuma and about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of the Rikuzen O Saki Light; the island separates the two arms of Kesennuma Wan. The island is accessible by ferry from Kesennuma. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-508; JP-1705; Admiralty M6566; NGA 4268.
* Iwai Saki
1929. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting three times every 13 s. 17 m (56 ft) 2-stage elliptical tower with three galleries, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouses of Japan also has a photo, Lighthouse in Japan has a page with good photos, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Google images show heavy tsunami damage in the area, but the lighthouse survived. Located on a promontory at the south entrance to Kesennuma Wan, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of the city. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-188; JP-1706; Admiralty M6564; NGA 4276.
Rikusen Oshima Light
Rikuzen Ō Shima Light, Kesennuma
Japanese Coast Guard Miyagi Office photo

Motoyoshi District Lighthouses
* Utatsu (Utatu) Saki
1924. Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) square concrete tower with gallery, rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse in Japan has a page with photos, and Misty's Tour also has photos, but trees seem to obscure Google's satellite view. Located on a promontory about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Utatsu. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-732; JP-1712; Admiralty M6560; NGA 4284.
* Terahama
1951. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 10 m (33 ft) square concrete tower with gallery, rising from an octagonal 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse in Japan has a page with good photos, and Google has a satellite view. Misty's Tour also has a photo and reports that the lighthouse stands in a large campground. Located on a promontory about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Shizugama. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-640; JP-1714; Admiralty M6558; NGA 4292.

Ishinomaki City Pacific Coast Lighthouses
Note: Ishinomaki is a fishing port with a pre-earthquake population of about 165,000. The city was largely inundated by the March 2011 tsunami, and thousands were killed. Some areas of the city were flooded permanently, since the earthquake dropped the elevation of the coast by more than a meter.
* Ōsu (Oshu) Saki
1949. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, centered on a square 1-story equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Lighthouse in Japan has a page with good photos, Misty's Tour has additional photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Ishinomaki. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-466; JP-1716; Admiralty M6556; NGA 4300.
* Shirogane Saki
1957. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); three white flashes every 13 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with three galleries, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse in Japan has a page with photos, Misty's Tour also has photos, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a promontory about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Oshu Saki, part of the same cape structure. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-582; JP-1717; Admiralty M6554; NGA 4304.
Aka Saki
1957. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, rising from a square 1-story equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A closeup photo is available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on a bluff on the west side of the entrance to the bay leading to the town of Ogati. Probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-009; JP-1720; Admiralty M6555; NGA 4316.
* Sikono (Yogono)
1926. Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round flared concrete tower with gallery centered on a 1-story concrete fog signal building. Entire lighthouse is white. Fog siren (one blast every 25 s). Another photo is available, but Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view. Located at the southern tip of an island about 6.5 km (4 mi) south of the Shirogane Saki Light. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-558; JP-1721; Admiralty M6549; NGA 4320.
#Megawa (Onogawa) Kō North Breakwater
1967. Destroyed. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. No photo available. This light is absent in Google's satellite view, so it must have been lost to the tsunami. Late in 2011 the Admiralty reported it had been replaced by a lightbuoy. Located at the end of the north breakwater, marking the entrance to the port of Megawa (Onogawa), about 15 km (9 mi) east of Ishinomaki. ARLHS JPN-1160; JP-1725; Admiralty M6550; NGA 4328.
Ōsu Saki Light
Ōsu Saki Light, Ishinomaki
Japanese Coast Guard Second Region photo
Megawa (Onogawa) Kō South Breakwater (?)
1969. Active; focal plane12 m (39 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. It appears that this light may have survived the tsunami, but late in 2011 the Admiralty reported it had been replaced by a lightbuoy.. Located at the end of the south breakwater, marking the entrance to the port of Megawa (Onogawa), about 15 km (9 mi) east of Ishinomaki. ARLHS JPN-1161; JP-1724; Admiralty M6551; NGA 4332.
* Haya Saki
1953. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); white flash every 4 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with a square concrete lantern room, rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. The light is displayed atop the tower; a spotlight is shown through a square window to illuminate a nearby reef. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse in Japan has a page with good photos, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a narrow peninsula about 20 km (13 mi) east of Ishinomaki. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-094; JP-1722; Admiralty M6548; NGA 4340.
Rikuzen Eno (Yeno) Shima
1962. Active; focal plane 87 m (285 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, centered on a 1-story square concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Eno Shima is a small island in the Pacific about 5 km (3 mi) east of Haya Saki. The island has a permanent population of about 130 and is the site of the University of Tokyo's tsunami laboratory. A small aerial photo of the island is available (third photo on the page). Located at the highest point of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-506; JP-1727; Admiralty M6547; NGA 4336.
* Kinkasan
1876. Active; focal plane 55 m (181 ft); flash every 20 s, alternately red and white. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with a large 1st or 2nd order lantern and gallery, rising from a semicircular 1-story stone keeper's house. A Fresnel lens, perhaps the original, is still in use. Entire lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, the Coast Guard has an aerial photo of the station, Lighthouses of Japan has another photo, Lighthouse in Japan has a page with good photos, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse, the oldest in the region, is a rare survivor of the earliest period of Japanese lighthouse history. Kinkasan is an island about 6.5 km (4 mi) long lying off Kuro Saki at the extreme southern end of the Rikuchū/Rikuzen Coast. The island is a popular tourist destination known for its temples and its distinctive plant life. The lighthouse is at the southeastern tip of the island, apparently accessible by a hiking trail. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-259; JP-1728; Admiralty M6546; NGA 4344.
* Rikuzen Kuro Saki (3?)
1991 (station established 1929). Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse of Japan has a page with good photos, Misty's Tour also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. We need better information on the history of this station. NGA describes a skeletal tower here, suggesting that the current tower was built rather recently. Lighthouse of Japan clains the station was established in 1892. Located on Kuro Saki, the south-pointing promontory that is the end of the Rikuzen Coast, about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Ishinomaki. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-507; JP-1729; Admiralty M6544; NGA 4348.
KInkasan Light
Kinkasan Light, Ishinomaki, May 2006
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Sekiuchi

Ishinomaki City Sendai Wan Lighthouses
* Dōmiki Saki
1966. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A closeup photo is available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located at the southeastern tip of an island, about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of Kuro Saki. The island is accessible by ferry. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-055; JP-1731; Admiralty M6545; NGA 4352.
#Ayukawa (Aikawa) Kō
Date unknown. Destroyed. This was a 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse was red. A 2004 distant view is available. Google's satellite view shows extensive damage to the harbor, with no navigational lights remaining. Late in 2011 the Admiralty reported the light had been replaced by a lightbuoy. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1144; Admiralty M6542; NGA 4356.
Nigishiro Saki
1955. Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); two white flashes every 7 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post, rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A closeup photo is available, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view. Located at the northern point of an island about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Ishinomaki. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-410; JP-1734; Admiralty M6540; NGA 4368.
* Oginohama (2)
1951 (station established 1892). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse painted white, although the paint had peeled off in the linked 2009 photo. Another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory sheltering the harbor of Oginohama. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1159; JP-1735; Admiralty M6538; NGA 4372.
* Watanoha
Date unknown (station established 1950). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. The name of this light is misspelled Watanoaha in many light lists. The lighthouse was "renovated" in 1972, but we don't know if it was replaced. Located on the tip of a forested peninsula at the east end of Ishinomaki harbor. The site appears to be accessible. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1169; JP-1737; Admiralty M6534; NGA 4380.
* Watanoha Kō West Breakwater
1964. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) concrete post light rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse either survived the tsunami, or it has been replaced. Watanoha is the location of the replica of the ship Date Maru or San Juan Bautista, built by Spanish shipwrights for the Daimyo of Sendai in 1613. Miraculously, the ship suffered only minor damage during the earthquake and tsunami. Located at the end of the main breakwater for Watanoha port, at the east end of the Ishinomaki port district. Accessible by walking the pier (although it's a long walk). Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1170; JP-1739; Admiralty M6535.2; NGA 4384.
Ishinomaki Gyoko
1976. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse painted red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This small lighthouse seems to have survived the tsunami. Located at the southeast end of a detached breakwater off the Ishinomaki waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-1745; Admiralty M6533.4; NGA 4400.
#Ishinomaki Kō West Breakwater (1)
1976. Destroyed. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available. The lighthouse did not survive the tsunami; Google's satellite view shows a smaller (probably temporary) light (focal plane unknown, green flash every 4 s). Located at the end of the west breakwater at Ishinomaki. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1149; JP-1744; Admiralty M6533; NGA 4408.
Ha Shima Light
Ha Shima Light, Shiogama
Japanese Coast Guard Miyagi Office photo

Shiogama Area Lighthouses
Ha Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 3 s.12m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has the closeup above right plus a good photo of this very scenic site, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop a small island at the southwestern end of Ishinomaki Wan (bay), about 13 km (8 mi) southwest of Ishinomaki. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-075; JP-1753; Admiralty M6520; NGA 4432.
Zizū (Jizo) Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21m (69 ft); white flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal stone tower with gallery, painted white. Another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island on the south side of the approach to Shiogama, about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of the city. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1150; JP-1756; Admiralty M6522; NGA 4444.
* Shiogama Range Front (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); continuous red light. 24 m (79 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. A photo is available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. This lighthouse was in an area flooded by the tsunami; the range was knocked out of service, but was restored before the end of 2011. Located about 200 m (220 yd) west of the inner harbor in downtown Shiogama. Site open, tower closed. JP-1757; Admiralty M6524; NGA 4436.
* Shiogama Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); continuous red light. 21 m (69 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. A photo is available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located 256 m (280 yd) west of the front light, next to a temple of the Nichiren sect. Site open, tower closed. JP-1758; Admiralty M6524.1; NGA 4440.
* Hanabuchi (Ho Saki)
1964. Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); two flashes every 20 s, two red flashes alternating with two green flashes. 23 m (75 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story concrete equipment building. Misty's Tour has a closeup photo, the Coast Guard has the photo at right and a second photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was damaged by the earthquake of March 2011, but it was back in service by late 2011. Located on a promontory about 8 km (5 mi) east of Shiogama. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-084; JP-1759; Admiralty M6521; NGA 4452.
Hanabuchi Light
Hanabuchi Light, Shiogama
Japanese Coast Guard Second Region photo

Sendai City Lighthouses
Note: The capital of Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai had a pre-tsunami population of about one million. The port area and coastal areas of the city were devastated by the great waves, which had heights up to 8 m (26 ft).
#Sendai North Breakwater
1972. Out of service; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. A photo is available, and Google has a pre-tsunami satellite view. The Sendai breakwaters and their lighthouses were heavily damaged by the tsunami in March 2011. Located at the end of the north outer breakwater, marking the entrance to the harbor of Sendai. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2638; JP-1772; Admiralty M6521.2; NGA 4460.
#Sendai South Breakwater (2)
1998 (station established 1975). Out of service; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The breakwater was extended in 1997-98, requiring a new and taller lighthouse. The Coast Guard's photo is at right, the Japanese Aids to Navigation Association (JANA) also has a page for the lighthouse, Vadym Byelash has a closeup photo, and Google has a pre-tsunami satellite view. The Sendai breakwaters and their lighthouses were heavily damaged by the tsunami in March 2011; this lighthouse was torn from its foundations and left standing with a severe lean. Located at the end of the south outer breakwater, marking the entrance to the harbor of Sendai. Previously accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2639; JP-1774; Admiralty M6521.1; NGA 4464.
Sendai Outer Breakwater East End
2001. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); green flash every 4 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has a pre-tsunami satellite view. Because of its location 5 km (3 mi) offshore, this lighthouse was not destroyed by the tsunami. Located at the end of the detached breakwater protecting Sendai harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. JP-1774.4; Admiralty M6521.1; NGA 4457.5.
Sendai South Breakwater Light
Sendai South Breakwater Light; Japanese Coast Guard Miyagi Office photo
(The tsunami heavily damaged this breakwater and left the lighthouse leaning)

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Iwate | South: Fukushima

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Posted August 15, 2006. Checked and revised July 23, 2011. Lighthouses: 35. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.