Lighthouses of Japan: Northern Ehime

Smallest of the Japanese main islands, Shikoku is divided into four prefectures. This page includes lighthouses of northern Ehime Prefecture, a coastline facing north on the Inland Sea. This is a scenic and well populated coast with numerous harbors.

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. 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 - Ehime: 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.
Lighthouse of Japan - Ehime: Another comprehensive site, in Japanese, with many photos.
Kiso's Lighthouses: This site has many excellent photos of Japanese lighthouses.
Misty's Japanese Lighthouse Tour - Ehime: Photos and a few notes in English for lighthouses in all parts of the country.
Ehime Lighthouses: Photos and travel directions for accessible lighthouses.
Lighthouse Photo Gallery: Photos from the web site of the Sixth Coast Guard Region.
Meiji Lighthouses of the Sixth Region: Also posted by the Sixth Coast Guard Region, information and photos concerning lighthouses built in the Meiji period (1868-1912).
The Japanese Lighthouse - Ehime: A collection of photos of lighthouses.

Hyakken Shima Light
Hyakkan Shima Light; Japanese Coast Guard photo

Western Inland Sea Lighthouses

Iyo City Lighthouses
Kominase Shima: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) 2-stage round cylindrical concrete tower with triple gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Kiso has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the southern tip of a small island in Iyo Bay about 9 km (6 mi) northwest of Ao Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-4916; Admiralty M5644; NGA 9148.
Ao Shima (Iyo Aoshima): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 102 m (335 ft); two white flashes every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, and the tower is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located atop an isolated high island in Iyo Bay about 20 km (12.5 mi) west of Iyo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-192; JP-4915; Admiralty F5644.4; NGA 9144.
Iyo Toyota (Iyotoyota) Kō: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 6 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post light attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is red. A closeup photo is available, and the local fisherman's union has a similar photo (fifth photo on the page), but Google has only a distant satellite view of the port. Located at the end of the main breakwater of the Toyota Fishing Harbor at Shimonada, southwest of Iyo. Accessible by walking the pier (a long walk). Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M5430; NGA 9270.
Iyo (Futami) Kaminada Kō: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 9.5 m (31 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is red. A closeup photo is available (2/3 the way down the page), but Google has only a distant satellite view of the port. Located at the end of the west breakwater at Kaminada harbor, southwest of Iyo. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M5430.5; NGA 9268.
* Iyo Kō (1): Date unknown (around 1870?). Inactive since 1957. Approx. 7.5 m (25 ft) square tapered unpainted stone tower with a traditional box lantern. Additional photos are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Said to date from the Meiji era, this lighthouse originally stood at the end of a pier but was relocated to its present location in 1912. It continued to carry a light until 1957, when the harbor was rebuilt. Located on the waterfront of the traditional Gunchu harbor in Iyo. Site open, tower closed.
Matsuyama City Lighthouses
Nishi Habuhakuchi Breakwater: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the north end of the detached breakwater of Nichi Habuhakuchi harbor, in the southern part of the city of Matsuyama. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty M5432.8; NGA 9256.
Matsuyama Kō Outer Breakwater: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (56 ft); two red flashes every 7 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has a satellite view. Located at the north end of the detached outer breakwater of Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime prefecture. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. JP-4947.5; Admiralty M5433.8; NGA 9240.
* Matsuyama Kō Inner Breakwater: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light attached to a 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater at the entrance to Matsuyama'a inner harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JP-4948; Admiralty M5434; NGA 9244.
Nenasi Syo: 1902. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 17 m (56 ft) round strongly conical stone tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a round pier. Lighthouse painted black with a red horizontal band. Kiso has a good photo, and the lighthouse appears barely in Google's distant satellite view. Located on a shoal off the eastern tip of Yashiro Shima, at the northeastern corner of Iyo Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-4929; Admiralty M5446; NGA 9188.
Heyano Hana: 1971. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); three white flashes every 13 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) two-stage round concrete tower with double gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Kiso also has a photo, but Google has only a very distant satellite view. Located on the western tip of the island of Nakajima in the Inland Sea about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Matsuyama. Site status unknown, but possibly accessible by road. ARLHS JPN-106; JP-4927; Admiralty M5451; NGA 9180.
Tumuri Saki: 1972. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Additional photos are available, and Google has a very distant satellite view. Located at the northeastern tip of the island of Gogo Shima about 8 km (5 mi) southwest of Hojo. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-691; JP-4641; Admiralty M5437; NGA 8812.
* Horie West Harbor Breakwater: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 4 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light centered on a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A closeup photo is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on the main breakwater of a small boat harbor at Horie in Matsuyama. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2373; Admiralty F5439; NGA 8810.
* Hojo (Hozyo) Kō: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three green flashes every 7 s. 10 m (32 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the north side of the entrance to Hojo harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2375; JP-4637; Admiralty F5442; NGA 8800.
* Hazumano (Hazuma No) Hana: 1966. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); white light occulting once every 8 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post light rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Located on the tip of a sharp promontory on the mainland of Shikoku about 3 km (2 mi) north of Hojo. A Google satellite view shows that access to the light is through an industrial or warehouse facility of some kind. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-097; JP-4636; Admiralty F5444; NGA 8796.
Shiode Iso: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); one short and one long red flash every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery, mounted on a round concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is red. Another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef about 1 km (0.6 mi) northwest of Asanami. Accessible only by boat, but easy to see from shore. Site open, tower closed. JP-4635; Admiralty F5447; NGA 8792.
Ai Shima (Aijima): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white light occulting once every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available; the light is barely visible in Google's distant satellite view. Located on a small island in Aki Bay about 13 km (8 mi) northwest of Hojo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-006; JP-4669; Admiralty M5445; NGA 8896.

Imabari City (Kurushima Strait) Lighthouses

Note: Imabari is a city near the end of the Kurushima peninsula, which projects northward into the Inland Sea. The Kurushima Strait, a busy and hazardous passage, connects Aki Bay west of the peninsula to Bingo Bay on the east. * Kurushima Kazitori Hana: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); two short white flashes followed one long white flash, every 15 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. There's a page for the lighthouse, Kiso has a view from the sea, another photo is available (a little over halfway down the page, number 4618), and Google has a satellite view. Kazitori Hana is a peninsula that projects westward into the Inland Sea about 7 km (4.5 mi) west of Imabari. The Kazitori Hana Sea Berth, a deepwater terminal for oil tankers, has been developed on the north side of the peninsula. This lighthouse is located on a headland on the west side of that harbor. Accessible by road, although some local guidance may be needed to find the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-311; JP-4618; Admiralty M5450; NGA 8772.
Ikada Iso: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); one long and two short red flashes every 8 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery. Entire lighthouse painted red. There's a page for the lighthouse, another photo is available (a little over halfway down the page, number 4616), and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks an especially narrow passage in the Inland Sea, where vessels round the tip of the Kurushima peninsula, a sharp promontory north of Imabari. Located on a bare rock about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) northwest of the promontory and 7 km (4.5 mi) northwest of Imabari. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-783; JP-4616; Admiralty M5454; NGA 8760.
Hiro Se (Namikata Kō): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery. Lighthouse painted black with one red horizontal band. A photo is available (a little over halfway down the page, number 4614), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock off the harbor of Namikata, about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Imabari. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. JP-4614; Admiralty M5459.4; NGA 8752.
Naka Iso (Nakano Iso, Kurushima Naka Iso): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); one short and one long green flash every 8 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted green. In the background of the linked photo is the Kurushima-Kaikyō (Kurushima Strait) Bridge, a series of three suspension bridges that is part of the Western Seto Expressway joining Honshū and Shikoku. Another photo is available. Located on a rock northwest of the bridge and northeast of Namikata. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-790; JP-4613; Admiralty M5459.3; NGA 8748.
O Shima: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); four red flashes, in a long-short-long-short pattern (Morse code "C"), every 13 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted red. A somewhat closer photo is available (about halfway down the page, number 4612), there's a page for the light, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks a major turn for vessels in the main channel of the Kuroshima Strait. Located on a rock just off the northeast point of O Shima -- not the big Ōshima (see below) but a much smaller island on the northwest side of the Kurushima-Kaikyō bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-792; JP-4612; Admiralty M5458; NGA 8744.
Ōge Shima Lighthouses
Watamaki Iso: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, mounted on a small concrete pier. Lighthouse painted black with one red horizontal band. A photo is available (about 1/4 the way down the page, #4521), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal in the entrance to a bay on the west side of Ōshima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-4521; Admiralty M5480.4; NGA 8588.
* Kayatomari Hana: 1955. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. A page for the lighthouse has a good photo, another photo is available (about 1/4 the way down the page, #4519), and Google has a satellite view. Located beside the coastal highway on the northwestern point of Ōshima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-252; JP-4519; Admiralty M5480; NGA 8584.
Shimo Komaruko Shima (Simo Komaru Koshima): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 7 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Google has a fuzzy satellite view of the island. Located on an island in the narrow channel separating Hakata Shima and Uma Shima, two island north of Ōshima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2420; JP-4517; Admiralty M5481; NGA 8580.
Funaore (Hunaore) Iwa: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); one short and one long red flash every 8 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower with a flared top, mounted on a large concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has a good satellite view. Located on a reef outside Hakata harbor, on the south side of Hakata Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-4515; Admiralty M5478; NGA 8572.
Mutsu Se: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) round concrete tower, mounted on a concrete pier. Lighthouse painted black with one yellow horizontal band. Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the southeastern tip of Hakata Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JP-4514; Admiralty M5477; NGA 8568.
Uma Shima Lighthouses
Imabari Harbor Lighthouses Shiro Ishi (Kurushima Shiroishi): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery. Lighthouse painted red. This lighthouse is listed by NGA only as "Kuru Sima." A photo is available (a little over 1/3 the way down the page, number 4607), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock off the harbor of Imabari. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. JP-4607; Admiralty M5462; NGA 8724.
Imabari Kō: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and a tall "dunce cap" roof. Entire lighthouse is white. Aaron Quigley has a photo, another photo is available (about 1/4 the way down the page, #4601), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the main breakwater of Imabari harbor. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-785; JP-4601; Admiralty M5467; NGA 8700.

Ochi District (Hiuchi Bay) Lighthouses

Note: Hiuchi Bay (Hiuchi-nada) fills a large basin in the central part of the Inland Sea east of Imabari. The bay is relatively free of islands.

Mitoko Iso

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9.5 m (31 ft); one short and one long red flash every 8 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallry, mounted on a concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the western tip of Iwagi Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. JP-4506; Admiralty M5711.4; NGA 8540.

Takaikami (Taki Kami) Shima

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 135 m (443 ft); three flashes every 10 s, the flashes in a 2+1 pattern, a group of three red flashes alternating with a group of three white flashes. 12 m (39 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. Kiso has a closeup photo and also a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on an isolated high island in central Hiuchi Bay, about 25 km (15 mi) north of Niihama. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-616; JP-4402; Admiralty M5482; NGA 8384.

Hyakkan Shima

1894. Active; focal plane 75 m (246 ft); white flash every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. A Coast Guard photo is at the top of this page, Kiso has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Hyakken Shima is at the northern edge of Hiuchi Bay, about 28 km (18 mi) north of Niihama and only 12 km (7.5 mi) south southeast of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture, Honshū. In fact, although it is located in Ehime Prefecture, this light is maintained by the Onomichi Coast Guard Office. Located on the summit of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-150; JP-4462; Admiralty M5728; NGA 8460.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Okayama and Hiroshima | East: Kagawa | South: Kōchi | West: Western Ehime

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