Lighthouses of Japan: Western Yamaguchi

This page lists lighthouses of the western coasts of the Japanese prefecture of Yamaguchi, located at the extreme southwestern tip of the main island of Honshū. Yamaguchi has coasts facing south on the Seto Inland Sea (Seto Naikai) and west and northwest on the Sea of Japan. The narrow, twisting Kanmon Strait connects these two seas and barely separates Honshū from Kyūshū. The principal ports in Yamaguchi are Tokuyama on the Inland Sea, Shimonoseki on the Kanmon Strait, and Nagato on the Sea of Japan.

Because of its lengthy coastline, Yamaguchi Prefecture has an unusually large number of lighthouses. This page includes lighthouses of the Kanmon Strait and Sea of Japan; the Eastern Yamaguchi page has the lighthouses of the Seto Inland Sea.

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 at least one Coast Guard Section Office in each prefecture, often two or more. In Yamaguchi, the southeastern portion of the prefecture is under the jurisdiction of the Hiroshima Office in neighboring Hiroshima Prefecture, and the rest is covered by the Moji Office.

A note on the Sea of Japan/East Sea controversy: The Directory takes no side in any international dispute; it makes use of the terminology, names, and spellings as they currently exist in each area covered. The sea between Japan and Korea is called the Sea of Japan on the pages for Japan and the East Sea on the pages for Korea.

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 - Yamaguchi
A comprehensive site, although almost entirely in Japanese.
Lighthouse-Japan.com - Yamaguchi
Excellent photos with notes (in Japanese) for many of the lighthouses.
Kiso's Lighthouses
This site has many excellent photos of Japanese lighthouses.
Lighthouses (Yamaguchi Prefecture)
A comprehensive site for photos of Japanese lighthouses.
Misty's Japanese Lighthouse Tour
Photos and a few notes for lighthouses in all parts of the country.
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 Lighthouse/Cape Index
Photos of many Japanese lighthouses (identified by JCG number) are linked to this page.
Lighthouses in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Lighthouses in the Meiji Period
Information and photos of historic lighthouses posted by the 7th Coast Guard Region.
Japan: Modern Lighthouses
Historic postcard views posted by Michel Forand.

Tsuno Shima Light
Tsuno Shima Light, Shimonoseki, May 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by keiiti009

Shimonoseki City Lighthouses

North Side Kanmon Strait (Kanmon-kaikyō) Lighthouses
Note: The Kanmon Strait is the narrow passage separating the southwestern tip of Honshū from the northern tip of Kyūshū. Since 1973, the two great islands have been joined by the Kanmonkyō Bridge, which crosses the narrowest point of the strait from Shimonoseki, Honshū, to Kitakyūshū. The twisting strait has strong tidal currents and is not easy to navigate.
Manzyu (Manju) Shima
1934. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 4 s. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, the Coast Guard has the distant photo at right, a page and a second page for the lighthouse are available, and Google has a satellite view. Manzyu Shima is a small, wooded island on the north side of the eastern entrance to Kanmon Strait, about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Shimonoseki. Located on the southern shore of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-330; JCG-5401; Admiralty M5360; NGA 9762.
Shimonoseki Range Rear
1901. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); continuous yellow light. 5 m (17 ft) round cast iron tower with gallery; an arrow-shaped daymark surrounds the light. Another photo and a third photo are available. The range guides westbound ships passing Shimonoseki. The front light is a small skeletal tower at the waterline. Michel Forand has a historic postcard view of the front light. Located in Shimonoseki one block from the waterfront. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5424; Admiralty M5356.1; NGA 9782.

Manzyu Shima Light, Shimonoseki
Japanese Coast Guard photo
* Sotohama (Kannonzaki) East Breakwater (2?)
Date unknown (1997? station established 1913). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); red flash every 4 s. 6 m (20 ft) round concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse covered with red ceramic tiles. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with several photos, Kiso's photo shows both breakwater lighthouses, the light is in the background of the photo at right, and Google has a satellite view. It's not clear if this is a new structure or a refurbished version of the original lighthouse. Located on the west breakwater of a small craft basin about 1.5 km (1 mi) southwest of the Kanmonkyo Bridge. Accessible by walking the pier; it's an easy walk from the nearby public aquarium. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5425; Admiralty M5353; NGA 9786.
* Sotohama (Kannonzaki) West Breakwater
1997. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); green flash every 4 s. 6 m (20 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is covered with white and gray ceramic tiles; lantern painted black. A photo is at right, JANA has a page with a great photo, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with several photos, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west breakwater of a small craft basin about 1.5 km (1 mi) southwest of the Kanmonkyo Bridge. Accessible by walking the pier; it's only a few steps from the Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-816; JCG-5425.1; Admiralty M5352; NGA 9788.
Shimonoseki Kō (Hananocho Breakwater)
2008 (?). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red flash every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is red. The light is on the right in a photo of the city's waterfront (click on the photo for enlargement), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater for the Hananocho harbor. JCG-5427; Admiralty M5351; NGA 9794.
* Hikoshima Range Front
2002. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); continuous yellow light. 26 m (85 ft) round concrete tower with triangular topmark and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, a second photo shows both range lights, and Google has a good satellite view. This range replaced the Ganryu Shima lighthouse (see below). Located on the shore of the strait about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of the Kanmonkyo Bridge. Site appears open, tower closed. JCG-5431.1; Admiralty M5439; NGA 9799.
Hikoshima Range Rear
2002. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); continuous yellow light. 13 m (46 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A closeup photo is available, a second photo shows both range lights, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a wooded bluff 90 m (300 ft) southwest of the front light. Site status unknown. JCG-5431.2; Admiralty M5439.1; NGA 9799.5.
Sotohama West Breakwater Light
Sotohama West Breakwater Light, Shimonoseki, August 2009
Panoramio photo copyright shita; permission requested
#Ganryu Shima
Date unknown. Demolished in 2003. This was a 17 m (56 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Kiso has photos (near the bottom of the page), and Google has a satellite view of the small square concrete platform on which the lighthouse stood. The lighthouse became redundant with the activation of the Hikoshima range lights (previous entries), so it was demolished in January 2003. Located at the tip of a headland a short distance south of the Hikishima lighthouses. Site status unknown. ex-JCG-5431; ex-Admiralty F5350.
#Yamasokono Hana
1918. Demolished, probably in 2003. This 14 m (46 ft) structure consisted of a 5 m (17 ft) round stone tower extended by a square skeletal tower. Kiso has a February 2002 photo (last lighthouse on the page), but Google's satellite view shows no trace of the lighthouse. Located on the north edge of the strait about 2 km (1.25 mi) east of the Kanenotsuru lighthouse (next entry). Site open. ex-JCG-5435.
Kanenotsuru (Kanenoturu) Misaki
1871 (relocated here in 1920). Inactive since 2000. 8.5 m (28 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted; lantern painted white. A 2008 photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with two photos, Kiso has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This small lighthouse stands on the extreme southwestern tip of Honshū, on the inside of a right-angle bend in the Kanmon Strait. Ships rounding this point are guided now by buoys and by range lights on the south (Kyūshū) side of the strait, making this light obsolete. Of the four historic lighthouses that guided ships around this bend, this is the only one not demolished. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-805; ex-JCG-5441; ex-Admiralty F5342.
#Ōyamano Hana
1901. Demolished, probably in 2003. This was a 12.5 m (41 ft) concrete tower from which the lantern had been removed. Google has a satellite view of a small concrete pier on which the lighthouse stood. Located about 400 m (1/4 mi) northwest of the Kanenotsuru lighthouse (previous entry). Site open. ex-JCG-5460.
Fukuura Breakwater (Simonoseki Basin Breakwater)
1965. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two green flashes every 8 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Additional photos are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater of the Fukuura harbor on the west side of Hikoshima. This pier seems too narrow to be walked safely. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-816; JCG-5461; Admiralty M5339; NGA 9860.
Kanenotsuru Misaki Light
Kanenotsuru Misaki Light, Shimonoseki, August 2008
Panoramio photo copyright aogaeru; permission requested
* Daiba (Daiga) Hana
1900. Inactive since 2009. 11 m (36 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with excellent photos, Misty's Tour has a photo, and Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse marks the north side of the entrance to the Kanmon Strait from the Sea of Japan. It stands on an island, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel but accessible by bridge. However, there is a large warehouse district behind the lighthouse and the tower may not be easy to locate. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1607; JCG-5530; Admiralty M5335.6; NGA 9920.
* Mutsure (Muture) Shima
1872 (Richard Henry Brunton). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white flash every 10 s. 11 m (36 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a semicircular keeper's cottage. The lighthouse is unpainted granite; lantern painted white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, Misty's Tour has a photo, a closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. This historic light is one of the oldest active Japanese lighthouses, inaugurated January 1, 1872. The emperor Meiji visited the lighthouse on June 12, 1872. It marks the approach to Kanmon Strait, which is from the north and not from the west. Located at the northeastern point of Mutsure Shima, about 3 km (2 mi) north of Daiba Hana. The island is apparently accessible by passenger ferry, and the lighthouse is only a short walk from the harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-384; JCG-5537; Admiralty M5334; NGA 9944.

Mutsure Shima Light, Shimonoseki
Japanese Coast Guard photo

West Coast (Sea of Japan) Lighthouses
Kurumi Se
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. A photo is available, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the islet. Located on a tiny island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Fukue. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M5330; NGA 1540.
Futaoi (Hutaoi, Hutsaoi) Shima
1912. Active; focal plane 104 m (341 ft); three white flashes every 30 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, a 2007 closeup and another photo are available, and Google has a very distant satellite view. Hutsaoi Shima is an inhabited island about 6 km (3.5 mi) off the mainland and about 16 km (10 mi) north northwest of Daiba Hana and the entrance to the Kanmon Strait. The light here is an important guide for ships approaching the strait, especially from the north. In 1951 the lighthouse was the first in Japan to be powered by wind, but it was converted to regular electric power after lines were brought to the station in 1967. Located at the southwestern tip of the island, which is accessible by ferry. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-147; JCG-0704; Admiralty M5322; NGA 1548.
Yadama (Yatama) Kō
1963. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Additional photos and a view across the harbor are available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of the west breakwater of Yadama harbor, about 13 km (8 mi) southeast of Tsuno Shima. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1679; JCG-0707; Admiralty M7400; NGA 1560.
* Kottoi
1912. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white or red light depending on direction, occulting once every 8 s. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with several photos, another good closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. This is the westernmost lighthouse on the mainland of Honshū. Located on a bluff on the north side of the entrance to Kottoi, a small town about 35 km (22 mi) west of Nagato. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-291; JCG-0709; Admiralty M7399; NGA 1564.
**** Tsuno (Tuno) Shima
1876 (Richard Henry Brunton). Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 5 s. 30 m (98 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted gray stone; lantern painted white. Adjoining keeper's house and other light station buildings. A photo is at the top of this page, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, another good photo is available, and Google has a satellite view of the station. This handsome lighthouse is the last of the lighthouses built in Japan by the British engineer Richard Henry Brunton. One of the country's best-known and most-visited lighthouses, it is the only Yamaguchi lighthouse on the Eighth Coast Guard District's well-known Famous Fifty Lighthouses list. It marks the "top of the toe" of Honshū, a place where the trend of the coastline shifts from north-south to east-west. The island, Tsuno Shima, is connected to the mainland by an exceptionally scenic bridge. Located at the western tip of the island. Site open, tower open for climbing daily. ARLHS JPN-693; JCG-0715; Admiralty M7397; NGA 1568.
Futaoi Shima Light
Futaoi Shima Light, Shimonoseki
Japanese Coast Guard Seventh Region photo
* Kuzu Se
1972. Active; focal plane about 19 m (62 ft); continuous white spotlight. 4 m (13 ft) square stone tower, painted white. Located at the base of the Tsuno Shima lighthouse, this light illuminates a reef 1.3 km (0.8 mi) north northwest. Site open, tower closed. JCG-0716.
* Motoyama
1982. Active; focal plane unknown; two continuous white spotlights illuminating the two ends of the Sano Se reef north of Tsunoshima.Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower carrying a large square lantern room and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has a satellite view. Located near the northern point of the island Tsuno Shima. Site open, tower closed. JCG-0717 and 0718.
Nagato Ise
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) round tapered concrete tower with gallery, mounted on a round concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is white. Another page for the lighthouse is available, the light is barely visible at the left edge of a photo of the bay, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a skerry in the northern entrance to the strait separating Tsuno Shima from the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1642; JCG-0714; Admiralty M7396; NGA 1584.

North Coast (Sea of Japan) Lighthouses

Nagato City Lighthouses
Awano Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted white. Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the west end of detached breakwater sheltering the harbor of Nagato Awano, about 10 km (6 mi) east of the bridge to Tsuno Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-0721; Admiralty M7395.6; NGA 1580.
Hon Yuya (Funa Se)
1976. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); continuous white spotlight. The light illuminates the Funa Se reef about 800 m (1/2 mi) south southwest. 11 m (36 ft) concrete post light with a large, square lantern room. Entire lighthouse is white. Another photo and a third photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Erroneously listed as "Yuya Ko" in NGA. Located on the north side of Yuya Bay about 1 km (0.6 mi) east of the Tawara Shima lighthouse (next entry). Accessible, but local guidance is needed. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-766; JCG-0724; Admiralty M7394.2; NGA 1596.
Yuya Kō (Tawara Shima, Yuya Wan)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); white light occulting twice every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A closeup photo and a 2008 view from the sea are available, the Coast Guard has a page with a closeup photo, there is another page for the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse stands at the summit of a small island (Tawara Shima) sheltering Yuya harbor. The island is connected tenuously to the mainland by a series of stepping stones that can be crossed at low tide, but some local knowledge is probably needed to do this safely. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1683; JCG-0719; Admiralty M7394; NGA 1600.
* Nagato Kawaziri Misaki
1929. Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); white light occulting once every 6 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with photos, another closeup is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Despite its small size, this is an important light for navigation along this dangerous coast. Located on a sharp headland about 15 km (9 mi) west northwest of Nagato. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-395; JCG-0725; Admiralty M7392; NGA 1604.
* Ima Misaki
1959. Active; focal plane 75 m (246 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 7 m (23 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A page for the lighthouse and another photo is available, and Google has a very distant satellite view. Located on a promontory marking the west side of the entrance to Nagato Wan (bay). Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-162; JCG-0738; Admiralty M7388; NGA 1620.
Kawaziri Misaki Light
Nagato Kawaziri Misaki Light, Nagato, August 2010
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by gataro-
* Shiobana (Siobana, Ushiobata) Hana (2)
Date unknown (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 104 m (341 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse, but the tower is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located on a high promontory jutting into the Sea of Japan at the northeast end of Omi Shima, about 13 km (8 mi) northeast of Nagato. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-571; JCG-0744; Admiralty M7377; NGA 1628.
Senzaki Kō Outer (No. 1) Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 4 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. A very distant view is available, but Google has only a very distant satellite view. Located at the north end of the detached breakwater on the east side of Senzaki harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1653; JCG-0753; Admiralty M7381.8; NGA 1656.

Hagi City and Abu District Lighthouses
Hagi Ai Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); two white flashes every 21 s. 10 m (33 ft) semicircular cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo and another photo are available, but the tower is not conspicuous in Google's distant satellite view. Located near the northern tip of Ai Shima, a small island about 15 km (9 mi) northwest of Hagi. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. JCG-0756; Admiralty M7378; NGA 1632.
Hagi Kō (Kistsune Shima)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 5 s. 7 m (23 ft) concrete post light with gallery rising from a round concrete equipment shelter. A photo and a second photo are available, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view. Located on Kistsune Shima, which is not an island but a peninsula connected to the north end of Hagi by a narrow isthmus. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1626; JCG-0767; Admiralty M7362; NGA 1696.
* Toraga Saki
1959. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with photos, another closeup is available, but the tower is not visible in Google's distant satellite view. Located at the tip of a peninsula protecting the north side of Hagi Wan. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-832; JCG-0771; Admiralty M7361; NGA 1692.
Koshigahama (Hagi Gyoko) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous red light with two more intense flashes every 6 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is red. Tavis Allen has a photo, but the light is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located on an islet just offshore on the east side of the entrance to Koshigahama, about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Hagi. Accessible only by boat, but visible from the coastal highway. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1614; JCG-0771.5; Admiralty M7361.2; NGA 1726.
Ōhira Se
1976. Active; focal plane 140 m (459 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 13 m (43 ft) concrete post light attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse, but the light is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located on a high promontory in a wild area about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Abu. Accessible by walking a service road, but local knowledge is required to find this lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. JCG-0775; Admiralty M7360.6; NGA 1736.
Kōyama Misaki South
1985. Active; focal plane 115 m (377 ft); continuous white light. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with a large concrete lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with several good photos, and Google has a distant satellite view. Kōyama Misaki is a prominent cape about 20 km (13 mi) west of Masuda. Located atop a summit on the south side of the cape, about 1 km (0.6 mi) southwest of the main lighthouse (next entry). Site status unknown, but the tower can be seen from the road leading to the Koyama Misaki lighthouse. JCG-778.5; Admiralty M7359.5.
Toraga Saki Light
Toraga Saki Light, Hagi, October 2007
Panoramio photo copyright katsudon; used by permission
* Kōyama Misaki
1951. Active; focal plane 93 m (305 ft); white flash every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical 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 excellent photos, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the tip of Kōyama Misaki, about 20 km (13 mi) west of Masuda. Accessible by a narrow, twisting road (reported open to the public) followed by a short hike up the service road to the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-277; JCG-0778; Admiralty M7359; NGA 1784.
Esaki (Ezaki) Kō (Ryukin Saki)
1959. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white light occulting once every 8 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery rising from a round 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the east side of the entrance to a fjord leading to the harbor of Ezaki. Accessible by a hiking trail. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1608; JCG-0782; Admiralty M7358; NGA 1788.

Mishima Lighthouses
Note: Mishima (Mi Shima) is a small island located in the Sea of Japan about 50 km (30 mi) northwest of Hagi. The island is famous for its cattle, which produce the highly prized and very expensive Mishima beef. The island is accessible by ferry from Hagi.
* Mi Shima (South)
1934. Active; focal plane 81 m (266 ft); white flash every 4 s. 14 m (46 ft) concrete post light rising from a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. An adjoining 1-story building, perhaps a former keeper's house, appears to house communications equipment. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse, and Kiso has a photo, but Google's fuzzy satellite view has no detail in this area. Located on heights at the south end of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-346; JCG-0729; Admiralty M7370; NGA 1748.
* Mi Shima North
1963. Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); two white flashes every 30 s. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, the Coast Guard also has a page for the lighthouse, and Kiso has a photo, but Google's fuzzy satellite view has no detail in this area. Located at the north end of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1633; JCG-0737; Admiralty M7368; NGA 1764.
Mi Shima North Light
Mi Shima North Light
Japanese Coast Guard Seventh Region photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Shimane | East: Eastern Yamaguchi | South: Fukuoka

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Posted January 25, 2007. Checked and revised October 6, 2012. Lighthouses: 39. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.