Lighthouses of Japan: Tōkyō and Kanagawa

The nation of Japan, known in Japanese as Nihon or Nippon (日本), occupies an archipelago off the east coast of Asia. The four main islands are Hokkaidō in the north, Honshū (the largest) in the center, Shikoku in the south, and Kyūshū in the southwest. The country includes thousands of other islands of all sizes; among them the Ryūkyū (Nansei) Islands are a long chain extending to the southwest and including the large island of Okinawa, and the Nanpō Islands are another long chain extending south into the Pacific Ocean. Much of Japan is mountainous but the coastal regions are densely populated and urbanized; the country's population is about 126 million.

Japan is divided into 47 prefectures. This page lists lighthouses of Tōkyō Metropolis and Kanagawa Prefecture, including the capital city of Tōkyō, the great port of Yokohama, and the naval base of Yokosuka. This metropolitan area faces eastward on Tōkyō Bay. To the south, beyond the cape of Kannon Saki, the broader Sagami Bay links Tōkyō Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The total population of this highly urbanized region is about 23 million.

Note: the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, stretching far into the Pacific south of Tōkyō, are attached administratively to Tōkyō Metropolis. Lighthouses of these islands are listed on a separate page.

In Japanese the word for a lighthouse is tōdai or toudai (灯台). The words saki and misaki are for capes and headlands, hana ("nose") is a promontory, hantō is a peninsula, shima (also spelled sima or jima) is an island, bae is a reef, iwa or shi is a rocky reef, amase or se is a shoal, wan is a bay, nada is a sound or basin, kaikyō is a strait, kawa is a river, and or minato is a harbor.

Lighthouses in Japan are operated and maintained by the Japanese Coast Guard's Maritime Safety Agency. On Honshu there is usually one Coast Guard Section Office in each prefecture, sometimes two. In this region the Coast Guard has offices at Tōkyō for Tōkyō Metropolis and at Yokohama and Yokosuka for Kanegawa Prefecture.

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 - Tōkyō and Kanagawa
A site providing photos and data for most major Japanese lighthouses.
Lighthouse-Japan.com - Tōkyō and Kanagawa
Another comprehensive site with photos and notes from visits to many lighthouses.
Misty's Japanese Lighthouse Tour - Tōkyō and Kanagawa
Photos and a few notes in English for lighthouses in all parts of the country.
Form of a Lighthouse - Tōkyō and Kanagawa
This site has photos from recent visits with notes about access; it is cited below as FOAL (Form of a Lighthouse).
Lighthouse Visits
This site has photos for many lighthouses in this area.
Online List of Lights - Japan
Photos posted by Alexander Trabas.
Lighthouses in Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyō
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Kawasaki Marine Safety Station - Photos
Photos posted by the Kawasaki harbor branch of the Yokohama Coast Guard Office.
Japan: Modern Lighthouses
Historic postcard images posted by Michel Forand.
Leuchttürme Japans und Koreas auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the area.

Ohse Saki Light, Tōkyō, January 2016
Google Mapss photo by Wa Wa

Lighthouses of Tōkyō Metropolis

Tōkyō Harbor Lighthouses
#Tōkyō East Passage (Tōkyō Gate) East Breakwater
1974. Inactive since 2014 and demolished in 2015. This was a 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted red. A photo is at right, another photo and a distant view are available, there's a nighttime photo of both East Passage lighthouses, and Google has a 2013 street view. The spectacular Tōkyō Gate Bridge, under construction in the photo at right and completed early in 2012, crosses the harbor entrance adjacent to the East Passage breakwaters; the two lighthouses appear in Wikimedia's 2011 photo of the bridge. However, the bridge made the lighthouses obsolete, so they were deactivated in November 2014 and removed in 2015. Google has a satellite view of the former location at the end of the east breakwater at the main entrance to Tōkyō harbor. This site is accessible by walking the breakwater from Wakasu-kaihin Park. Site open. ARLHS JPN-1472; ex-JCG-2193; ex-Admiralty M6427.6; ex-NGA 5280.
#Tōkyō East Passage (Tōkyō Gate) West Breakwater
1976. Inactive since 2014 and demolished in 2015. This was a 16 m (52 ft) round white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. There's a nighttime photo of both East Passage lighthouses and Google has a 2013 street view across the harbor. Google has a satellite view of the former location at the end of the detached west breakwater at the main entrance to Tōkyō harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site closed. ARLHS JPN-1473; ex-JCG-2192; ex-Admiralty M6427.4; ex-NGA 5276.
Tōkyō East Passage Detached Breakwater West End
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a rectangular 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse painted red. Trabas has a closeup photo and Google has harbor view and a satellite view. Located at the west end of a detached breakwater within the harbor area, about 1 km (0.6 mi) northwest of the two breakwater lights (previous two entries). Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1471; JCG-2189.5; Admiralty M6427.8; NGA 5284.
Tokyo Gate East Breakwater Light
Tōkyō Gate East Breakwater Light (now lost), Tōkyō Harbor, July 2010
photo copyright souyas; permission requested
#Tōkyō Outside Breakwater
Date unknown. Inactive since November 2010 and since removed. This was a 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower, painted red. Google's satellite view shows only water; the breakwater has been removed as part of a harbor redevelopment project. Formerly located at the end of a detached breakwater in the West Passage, about 2 km (1.25 mi) southeast of the east breakwater light (next entry). Accessible only by boat. Site open. ARLHS JPN-1415; ex-JCG-2161.43; ex-Admiralty M6427.04; ex-NGA 5273.
#Tōkyō West Passage East Breakwater
1975. Inactive since 2017 and since removed. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted red. Google has a 2016 harbor view of the lighthouse and a satellite view of the former location. The lighthouse was deactivated in December 2017. Located at the end of a breakwater on the east side of the west entrance to Tōkyō harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1474; ex-JCG-2161; ex-Admiralty M6427.19; NGA 5272.
#Tōkyō West Passage West Breakwater
1981. Removed in 2017. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Google has a distant 2016 harbor view of the lighthouse and a satellite view of the former location. The lighthouse was deactivated in December 2017. Located at the end of a breakwater on the east side of the west entrance to Tōkyō harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1476; ex-JCG-2160; ex-Admiralty M6427.17; NGA 5268.

Tōkyō City Lighthouses
* Jōtōmyō-dai (Chiyoda, Kudanshita)
1871. Inactive as a navigational aid for many years but a white decorative light is displayed. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) 2-stage rubblestone tower with lantern and double gallery. The lower half of the tower is square and tapered, while the upper half is octagonal cylindrical. Tom Bastin's photo is at right, Feng Liao has a 2021 photo, Nelson Cunnington has a 2007 photo, Wikimedia has a photo, there's another closeup and an Instagram photo of the light in action, Michel Forand posted a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse was built shortly after the Meiji Restoration (1866-69) restored the power of the Emperor and ushered in the start of the modernization of Japan. In other words, this is one of the first lighthouses built by Japanese in the modern era. According the Japanese text accompanying the photos each stone is inscribed with the name of the feudal clan that contributed that stone. The lighthouse was relocated a short distance across Yasukuni Street in 1930 as the area was developed. Today it is called Jōtōmyō-dai, "High Lantern." The lighthouse is located just north of Kitanomaru Park in the Kudanshita district within the Chiyoda ward of central Tōkyō, which also includes the Imperial Palace and the other principal buildings of the Japanese government. Shawn Hebrank, who visited in early 2010, reports that the lighthouse is not on any tourist maps, so some local knowledge may be needed to find it. Site open, tower closed. .

Jōtōmyō-dai Light, Tōkyō, December 2014
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Tom Bastin
* Anori Saki (2) (relocated)
1873 (Richard Henry Brunton). Inactive since 1948. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) old-style octagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A 2016 photo is at right, T. Otsubo has a closeup photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Originally built in Mie Prefecture south of Nagoya, this is the oldest surviving Western-style wooden lighthouse in Japan and the only survivor of several wooden towers designed by Brunton. Forand has a postcard view of the lighthouse at its original site. Replaced by a modern concrete lighthouse in 1948, it was later disassembled and rebuilt at the Museum of Maritime Science in the Odiaba district of Tōkyō, a neighborhood on several artificial islands in Tōkyō Bay that has become popular for its restaurants and other tourist attractions. Owner/site manager: Museum of Maritime Science (Fune-no-Kagakukan). Site open, tower closed.
* Ohse Saki (1) (relocated)
1879. Reactivated; focal plane unknown; flashing light, alternately red and white. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The original 3rd order Fresnel lens remains in use. Nelson Cunnington's photo is at the top of this page, Rob Johnson has a photo, another photo is available, Misty's Tour has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Prefabricated in France, this lighthouse was built at the west end of Fukue Shima in Nagasaki Prefecture at the far southwestern corner of Japan. Gunfire from a U.S. submarine shot the lantern roof off in 1945 but the lens was miraculously unharmed. In 1971 the light was replaced by a modern concrete lighthouse. The old lighthouse has been relocated to the Museum of Maritime Science in the Odiaba district of Tōkyō. Owner/site manager: Museum of Maritime Science (Fune-no-Kagakukan). Site open, tower closed.
* Lightship Tōkyō (lantern) (?)
1947. Decommissioned 1968. The mast and gallery, with light, was on display outside the Museum of Maritime Science in the Odiaba district of Tōkyō. It was apparently removed in connection with construction of new facilities, and its current location is not known. Information needed! Owner/site manager: Museum of Maritime Science (Fune-no-Kagakukan). Site open, tower closed.

Anori Saki Light, Tōkyō, 2016
Google Maps photo by Wa Wa

Haneda Area Lighthouse
#Tōkyō (Haneda) (2?)
1968 (station established 1900). Inactive since October 2010 and demolished sometime in 2011. 32 m (105 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, standing on a square platform supported by numerous concrete piles. Lighthouse painted white. Also on the platform was a circular harbor control building. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos taken in 2010 but Google's satellite view shows only open water at the location. Built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the modern Japanese lighthouse service, this lighthouse replaced the former lightship Tōkyō. The Jenkins 1904 light list describes the original light as a "screwpile structure." Formerly located in Tōkyō Bay about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of the city's outermost artificial islands. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-664; ex-JCG-2159; ex-Admiralty M6427; ex-NGA 5264.

Lighthouses of Kanagawa Prefecture

Kawasaki City Lighthouses
Kawasaki includes the southern suburbs of Tōkyō, but its waterfront is heavily industrial.

Kaze no Tō
1997. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes, two short followed by one long, every 10 s. Approx. 24 m (79 ft) sail-like structure, one of two, built on a large round platform. Trabas has a good photo, a closeup photo is available and Google has a satellite view. Kaze no Tō (the Tower of Wind) is the ventilation tower for the tunnel portion of the Tōkyō Bay Aqua-Line (Tōkyō Wan Akua Rain), a bridge-tunnel crossing of Tōkyō Bay joining Kawasaki on the south side of Tōkyō to Kisarazu in Chiba prefecture. The platform is located over the center of the 9.6 km (6 mi) tunnel section, the world's longest underwater tunnel for autos. Located about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) southeast of the Kawasaki waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. JCG-2155.51; Admiralty M6421; NGA 5241.
Kawasaki North Breakwater (2)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2017. Approx. 24 m (79 ft) square skeletal tower mounted on a large square equipment building. Tower painted red; equipment building is white. The Coast Guard has a photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is a signal tower directing ship traffic as it approaches the docks. NGA listed a much shorter tower at this location. Located on the quay on the north side of the north entrance to the Kawasaki docks. Site status unknown. ex-JCG-2150; ex-Admiralty M6422.2; ex-NGA 5248.
Higasi Ogishima Breakwater North End
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with a flared top. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a photo, Trabas has a closeup photo, a 2021 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northeast end of a very long detached breakwater on the northeast side of Yokohama. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1399; JCG-2148.8; Admiralty M6421.8; NGA 5246.
Tonen-Ogishima Seaberth
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 37 m (121 ft); three white flashes, two short followed by one long, every 10 s. 33 m (108 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. Fog horn (blast every 30 s). Trabas has a photo and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a long seaberth outside the Ogishima Breakwater. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. JCG-2148; Admiralty M6420; NGA 5236.
Higasi Ogishima Breakwater South End
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. A Coast Guard photo is at right, a 2021 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the southwest end of a very long detached breakwater on the northeast side of Yokohama. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1400; JCG-2145.5; Admiralty M6419.2; NGA 5244.
Higasi Ogishima South End Light
Higasi Ogishima Breakwater South End Light, Kawasaki
Japanese Coast Guard Yokohama Office photo

Yokohama City Lighthouses
Yokohama was a small fishing village until it was chosen as the port of contact with the West in 1859. Today it is second in population only to Tōkyō, with about 3.7 million residents.

Yokohama Daikoku Breakwater East Head
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); green flash every 4 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a closeup photo and Google has a good satellite view and a very distant street view. Located at the end of a breakwater extending from the northeast end of the Daikoku Pier. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1396; JCG-2129; Admiralty M6401.6; NGA 5176.
* Yokohama Daikoku Breakwater West Head
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23m (75 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted red. Located on the south end of the Daikoku breakwater, which is now the outermost breakwater for Yokohama's inner harbor (the Daikoku breakwater is outside the Outer Breakwater). Lighthouse-Japan.com has good photos, Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL has photos (halfway down the page), a 2018 photo and a view along the pier are available, and Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the pier. Site and tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-1397; JCG-2128; Admiralty M6401.5; NGA 5180.
Yokohama North Outer Breakwater South Head
1939. Inactive since 2019. 24 m (79 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a square 2-story service building or keeper's house. The lantern has a conical "dunce cap" roof. Lighthouse painted red. Lighthouse-Japan.com has excellent photos, Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL has a photo (fourth row, left), Misty's Tour has a photo, Google has a harbor view and a distant street view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse stands just outside the Yokohama Bay Bridge; a view of the lighthouse from the bridge is available and Trabas has a photo showing the bridge towering over the lighthouse. Located at the south end of the north outer breakwater of Yokohama Inner Harbor. Site and tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-1418; ex-JCG-2117; ex-Admiralty M6406; NGA 5184.
Yokohama Daikoku Wharf West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted red. Trabas has a photo, FOAL has photos (bottom of the page), a 2023 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a breakwater on the Daikoku Wharf, on the east side of Yokohama's harbor. Site status unknown. JCG-2125.5; Admiralty M6407; NGA 5204.
Yokohama North Inner Breakwater
1896. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 15 m (49 ft) hexagonal pyramidal cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a hexagonal concrete (?) base. Entire lighthouse painted red. The Coast Guard has a page for the lighthouse and one of the Coast Guard's photos is at right. Trabas has a photo, Nei Ryu has a 2020 photo, Naoki Watanabe has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This unusual and historic lighthouse and its twin (next entry) were designed by the British engineer H.S. Palmer. Lighthouse-Japan.com has good photos of both lighthouses. A historic postcard view posted by Forand shows both lighthouses resting on iron pilings; the present concrete base was added either shortly before or following the 1923 earthquake. Located on a detached breakwater in the inner harbor of Yokohama. Accessible only by boat, but there should be good views from shore. Site and tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-1417; JCG-2121; Admiralty M6411; NGA 5200.

Yokohama North Inner Breakwater Light
Japanese Coast Guard photo
* Yokohama South Inner Breakwater (relocated)
1896. Inactive since 1958(?). 15 m (49 ft) octagonal pyramidal cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A photo is at right, a closeup and a more distant view are available, Tomo Takaku has a 2021 photo, Forand posted a postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse was built at the end of the south breakwater; in Huelse's postcard view we see it at the far right. On 14 April 1958 the departing Cunard liner Caronia collided with the end of the breakwater, knocking the lighthouse over. Following this disaster, the lighthouse was salvaged and relocated to the end of a nearby pier. (It was replaced at the original location by a post light and later by a buoy off the end of the breakwater.) Since 1961 the historic passenger liner Hikawa Maru has been berthed at the pier. Located at the end of a short wharf on the south side of Yokohama's inner harbor. Site open, ship open daily, tower closed. Site manager: NYK Line (NYK Hikawa Maru). .
Yokohama Lumber Basin Breakwater
1938. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 9 m (30 ft) post mounted on a 1-story equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a photo, FOAL has another photo (1/3 the way down the page, on the left), a 2018 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the elbow of a breakwater protecting a basin just west of the Yokohama Harbor Bridge. Site and tower closed. JCG-2118; Admiralty M6413; NGA 5192.
* Yokohama Marine Tower
1961. Inactive since September 2008. 106 m (348 ft) round steel skeletal tower topped by a multistory round observation building. The outer skeleton of the tower is silver and the inner structure is olive brown. At night the tower is bathed in lights. A 2009 daytime photo is available, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with several photos, Wikipedia also has a page with several photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The tower is one of the best known tourist attractions of Yokohama. It was billed as the world's tallest lighthouse and often recognized as such, but this depends on one's definition of a lighthouse: the Perry Monument in Lake Erie, Ohio, is 107 m (351 ft) tall. A commercial venture, the tower went out of business in December 2006. The City of Yokohama took over the tower, renovated it, and reopened it in May 2009. Originally the lower half of the tower was painted green and the upper half red but the city engineers decided that was too garish. The tower was closed for renovations in 2023. Located at the foot of the Yamashita Pier on the south side of the Yokohama Inner Harbor. Site open, tower open daily. Owner: City of Yokohama. Site manager: Yokohama Marine Tower. . ARLHS JPN-1419; ex-JCG-2119; ex-Admiralty M6400; ex-NGA 5196.
Yokohama South Breakwater Light
Yokohama South Breakwater Light, May 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by naitokz
Yokohama South Outer Breakwater
1939. Inactive at least since 2019. 24 m (79 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a square 2-story service building or keeper's house. The lantern has a conical "dunce cap" roof. Lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has good photos, Maeda Ichiro has a good 2008 photo, a distant 2020 photo is available, Fábio Masaki has a lovely 2021 photo, Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL has several photos, and Google has a satellite view. It's not clear if this lighthouse has been or will be removed. Located at the north end of the south outer breakwater of Yokohama Inner Harbor; only fragments remain of this breakwater, which is now just outside the Yokohama Harbor Bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1420; ex-JCG-2116; ex-Admiralty M6402; NGA 5188.
Yokohama Honmoku Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Trabas has a closeup photo, a 2018 photo and a 2019 view from the sea are available, Shigeichi Yoshida has a distant view from the Port Symbol Tower, and Google has a satellite view. The detached Honmoku Breakwater is at the southeast corner of Yokohama harbor, opposite the Daikoku Breakwater West Head Light. Located at the north end of the breakwater. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1401; JCG-2113; Admiralty M6401.4; NGA 5172.
Nissan Honmoku Wharf
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); one long and one short red flash every 8 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower painted red. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a broad wharf on the south side of the Honmoku port. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1409; JCG-2108; Admiralty M6401; NGA 5156.
Kanazawa East Breakwater (Negishi Wan)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Trabas has a closeup photo, a 2018 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Kanazawa is a district on the south side of Yokohama; its harbor is much used by pleasure craft. Located at the end of the breakwater of Kanazawa. Site and tower probably closed. ARLHS JPN-1403; JCG-2090; Admiralty M6380; NGA 5144.
 

Yokohama South Outer Breakwater Light, December 2018
Google Maps photo by Tomy.S

Yokosuka City: Tōkyō Bay Lighthouses
Yokosuka, at the southwest corner of Tōkyō Bay south of Yokohama, is best known a major base for the Japanese and U.S. navies, but it also exports automobiles from a large Nissan plant. The city spans the Miura Peninsula, with coastlines on Tōkyō Bay to the east and Sagami Bay to the west.

Yokosuka East Breakwater North Head
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two green flashes every 8 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north end of a breakwater at the northwestern corner of Yokosuka harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-2088; Admiralty M6376; NGA 5128.
Yokosuka Northeast Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); red flash every 3 s. 18 m (59 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted red, attached to a cluster of 1- and 2-story concrete buildings. A closeup 2018 photo is available, Trabas has a photo and Google has a good satellite view. The detached breakwater protects the harbor from waves driven down the bay by northerly winds. Much of the breakwater is below the water surface, but the lighthouse is built on a large concrete pier at the eastern end. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1345; JCG-2087; Admiralty M6372; NGA 5132.
Yokosuka Yoshikura West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a breakwater on the north side of Yokosuka's commercial harbor, east of the naval base. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1422; JCG-2073; Admiralty M6377; NGA 5140.
**** Kannon Saki (Kannonzaki) (3)
1925 (station established 1869). Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 19 m (62 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The station includes a 1-story keeper's house and a 2-story maritime traffic control center for Tōkyō Bay. A photo is at right, Naomi Tsuruta has an excellent 2020 closeup photo, the Lighthouses of Japan site has a photo, FOAL's page for the lighthouse has many photos, Wikimedia has a photo, Trabas has a photo, Forand has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This was Japan's first western-style light station, inaugurated on New Years Day 1869. The original lighthouse, a 1-story brick keeper's house with a short brick light tower centered on the roof, was built by French engineers directed by François Léon Berny. This historic structure was destroyed by the great Tōkyō earthquake of 1 September 1923; it was replaced by a temporary wood lighthouse and then by the present lighthouse. Commanding a sweeping view of the mouth of Tōkyō Bay, the light station is a well known and popular tourist attraction. The Coast Guard and City of Yokosuka maintain a museum of lighthouse history on site, including lenses and other equipment from lighthouses in the area. Located on a promontory projecting into lower Tōkyō Bay opposite Futtsu, about 7 km (4.5 mi) east of Yokosuka harbor. Accessible by road, parking provided. Site open, museum and tower open daily. Tour manager: Tokokai Association (Kannonzaki Lighthouse). . ARLHS JPN-227; JCG-2030; Admiralty M6360; NGA 5076.
* Toumyou Misaki (Tomyozaki) (replica)
1989 replica of 1648 lighthouse. 7 m (23 ft) square wood tower with lantern, braced by four wood timbers, mounted on a square rubblestone base. A 2021 closeup photo and another photo are available, Sakurai Katsumi has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is a replica of a tower built by the Edo Shogunate to mark the entrance to Yokosuka harbor. The tower displayed a rape seed oil lamp and it is said that it was operated every night without fail for more than 220 years, until after it had been replaced by the Kannon Saki lighthouse. The lighthouse is displayed in a city park, adjacent to a public beach. Located at Tomyozaki, a cape about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southwest of Kannon Saki. Site open, tower closed. .

Kannon Saki Light, Yokosuka, August 2016
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Quercus acuta
Ashika Shima (Sea Lion Island)
1916. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 3 s. 14 m (46 ft) broadly conical and tapered round concrete (?) tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted black, lantern white. Shanaka Prageeth has a 2019 photo, a 2007 closeup photo is available, Trabas has a photo, Randy Lane has a view from the sea, Lighthouses of Japan has a good photo, FOAL's page for the lighthouse has several photos, Forand has a historic postcard image showing the lighthouse without its present lantern, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse stands on a dangerous rock about 1.5 km (1 mi) southeast of Kurihama harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-028; JCG-2019; Admiralty M6355; NGA 5056.

Miura City Lighthouses
Miura occupies the end of the Miura Peninsula, with the waters of Sagami Bay on three sides.

*
Tsurugi (Turugi) Saki (2)
1925 (station established 1871). Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); two white flashes followed by one green flash every 30 s. 17 m (56 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A photo is at right, Jannell Lambert has another good closeup photo, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with several photos, Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL's page for the lighthouse has several photos, Misty's Tour has several additional photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Said to be Japan's fourth oldest modern light station, this lighthouse and the Nojima Saki lighthouse in Chiba prefecture frame the entrance to Tōkyō Bay. The original lighthouse was destroyed by the great Tōkyō earthquake of September 1, 1923. Located at the southeastern corner of the Miura Peninsula, marking the west entrance to Tōkyō Bay, about 13 km (8 mi) south of Yokosuka. Accessible by walking the service road, and parking is available, although the road to the lighthouse is not well marked. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-698; JCG-2018; Admiralty M6354; NGA 5044.
Misaki Kō East Entrance South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL has a photo (third row, right), and Google has a satellite view. Misaki Kō ("Cape Harbor") is the harbor sheltered behind Zyōga Shima at the southwestern corner of the Miura Peninsula. Located at the end of the breakwater on the south (Zyōga Shima) side of the entrance. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1407; JCG-2404; Admiralty M6349; NGA 5380.

Tsurugi Saki Light, Miura, JDecember 2022
Instagram photo by con_mia_panda
* Awa Saki (1) (?)
1958. Inactive since 2020. 11 m (36 ft) hourglass-shaped concrete tower, painted white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has good photos, Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL's page for the lighthouse has several photos, a 2007 photo is available, Wikimedia has a closeup photo, Shinya Ōmachi has a 2014 street view, and Google has a satellite view. It is not known whether this lighthouse will be removed. Located at the eastern point of Zyōga Shima, an island lying just off the southwestern tip of the Miura Peninsula. Accessible by scrambling over rocks from a public park at the eastern end of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1395.
* Awa Saki (2)
2020. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 4 s; also a continuous white spotlight (JCG-2402) illuminates a nearby reef. 16 m (52 ft) round white concrete tower with lantern topped by an octagonal "dunce cap" roof. FOAL's page for the lighthouse has several photos, Shinichi Oshio has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the public park on Awa Saki. Site open, tower closed. . JCG-2401; Admiralty M6347; NGA 5364.
* Zyōga (Jyoga, Jouga, Jōga) Shima (3)
1926 (station established 1870). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, Misty's Tour has additional photos, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a good page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a closeup photo of the lighthouse in action, Nei Ryu has a 2021 photo, FOAL's page has several photos, a closeup is available, Forand posted a postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The original lighthouse was destroyed by the great Tōkyō earthquake of September 1, 1923; it was replaced by a temporary wood lighthouse and then by the present lighthouse. Located at the western tip of Zyōga Shima, where it marks the eastern entrance to Sagami Bay. Accessible by road but some local guidance may be needed to find the stairway leading to the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-203; JCG-2407; Admiralty M6343; NGA 5368.
Zy
Zyōga Shima Light, Miura, January 2008
Wikimedia public domain photo by nobrand
Misaki Kō West Entrance South Breakwater (I Shima)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); three red flashes every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower with flared top. Entire lighthouse is red. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, Trabas has a photo of the light in action, FOAL has a photo (next to last row, right), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a detached breakwater on the south (Zyōga Shima) side of the entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1402; JCG-2408; Admiralty M6344; NGA 5372.
Misaki Kō West Entrance North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with flared top. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL has a photo (third from last row, right), Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, Yu Sasaki has a 2022 photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater on the north (mainland) side of the entrance. Site and tower closed. JCG-2410; Admiralty M6345; NGA 5376.
Moroiso Saki
1944. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. 19 m (59 ft) square hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery, attached to a small concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. A drone view is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo, a 2021 photo is available, FOAL's page for the lighthouse has photos, Misty's Tour has a photo, a closeup street view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a point of land facing Sagami Bay about 3 km (2 mi) northwest of Misaki Kō. Site open but not easy to find, tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-1408; JCG-2412; Admiralty M6342; NGA 5384.
Kamegisho (Kamegi Kō)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); nine quick white flashes every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) square concrete tower, painted yellow with one black horizontal band. Trabas has a photo, FOAL's page for the beacon has photos, and Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on a shoal about 1.5 km (1 mi) off Kamegi. Accessible only by boat, but there is a distant view from shore. Site open, tower closed. JCG-2413; Admiralty M6338; NGA 5388.

Moroiso Saki Light, Miura, January 2017
ex-Google Plus photo by Yokohama digital camera album

Yokosuka City: Sagami Bay Lighthouses
* Nagai Kō
1980. Active; focal plane 9.5 m (31 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 8 m (26 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story square concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a closeup photo with Mount Fuji in the background, FOAL has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the end of the south (main) breakwater of Nagai, on the west side of the Miura peninsula. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-2414; Admiralty M6339; NGA 5392.
Sashima (Sajima) Kō Entrance (Naka Se)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) concrete post with gallery and a round equipment shelter under the gallery. Entire lighthouse is green. Trabas has a photo, FOAL has a photo (second row, right), and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a shoal about 180 m (600 ft) off the end of the main breakwater at Sashima. Accessible only by boat, but there is a good view from shore. Site open, tower closed. JCG-2415; Admiralty M6340; NGA 5396.

Hayama Town Lighthouses
Hayama is a popular seaside suburb and resort; the imperial family has a seaside residence here.

Hayama
1944. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) round barbell-shaped concrete tower with gallery, mounted on a concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is white. A beautiful 2020 photo (don't miss this) features the lighthouse and Mount Fuji, Trabas has a photo, FOAL's page for the lighthouse has several photos, T. Miya has a photo showing the Enoshima tower in the distance, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view. Listed as Hayama Ko by NGA, this lighthouse guides vessels in a narrow passage through a dangerous reef. Located about 1200 m (3/4 mi) south of the Hayama yacht harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-095; JCG-2415.5; Admiralty M6336; NGA 5398.
* Hayama Kō (2)
2001 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 8 m (26 ft) wedge-shaped tower, designed to resemble a yacht under sail. Entire lighthouse painted red. Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL's page for the lighthouse has excellent photos, Iruma Gawa has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater of the yacht harbor at Hayama. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. JCG-2415.55; Admiralty M6335.

Fujisawa City (Eno Shima) Lighthouses
Fujisawa is a city of about 400,000 residents on the shore of Sagami Bay below Mount Fuji.

*
Syōnan (Shonan) Kō
1964. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The lantern has a conical "dunce cap" roof like those of two similar lights in Yokohama harbor. Manabu Shimohira's photo is at right, Lighthouse-Japan.com has good photos, Trabas has a closeup photo, Misty's Tour has a photo, FOAL's page for Enoshima lighthouses has photos (near the bottom of the page), and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse was built as part of the development of Syōnan harbor as a yachting venue for the 1964 Olympics hosted by Tōkyō (the sailing competition at the 2020/21 Olympics will also be held here). Located at the end of a pier on the southeastern tip of Eno Shima. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-607; JCG-2417; Admiralty M6333; NGA 5400.

Syonan Ko Light
Syōnan Kō Light, Fujisawa, August 2005
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Manabu Shimohira

*** Enoshima (Eno Shima, Yenoshima) (2)
2003 (station established 1951). Active; focal plane 107 m (351 ft); white flash every 10 s. 60 m (197 ft) round steel skeletal tower, wider at the top than at the bottom, with a lantern atop a large circular observation area. The tubular outer framework of the tower is white. At night, the tower is bathed in lights of changing colors. A photo is at right, a night time closeup photo is available, Trabas has a good photo, Misty's Tour has photos, FOAL's page for Enoshima lighthouses has photos (near the middle of the page), and Google has a street view and a satellite view. There is also a closeup photo (taken in 2000) of the original lighthouse, which was very different but equally remarkable in appearance. Eno Shima, a triangular island just off the coast near Fujisawa, is famous in Japanese folklore and is considered the perfect spot for viewing the sunset behind Mount Fuji. The island is connected to the mainland by a bridge and is a very well known tourist attraction. The tower is located at the highest point of the island, near the center. Site open, tower open daily. Site manager: Enoshima Sea Candle . ARLHS JPN-059; JCG-2416; Admiralty M6332; NGA 5404.

Ōiso Town Lighthouses
Like Hayama, Ōiso is a popular seaside resort town.

*
Ōiso Kō (2)
2011. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) square concrete tower with gallery; the tower is wider at the top than at the bottom. Entire lighthouse is white, with the name of the town in large blue Latin letters on the sides. A 2022 closeup photo is available, Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL's page for the light has 2012 photos at the bottom of the page, and Google has a 2014 street view and a satellite view. When the breakwater was extended the town chose to build this new lighthouse rather than move or duplicate the old one. FOAL's page for the light also has 2009 photos of the original light. Located at the end of the south (main) breakwater at Ōiso. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-1412; JCG-2419; Admiralty M6328; NGA 5412.
Enoshima Light
Enoshima Light, Fujisawa, July 2012
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Dr. Koto

Odawara City Lighthouse
Odawara is a city of about 200,000 residents facing the west side of Sagami Bay.
Odawara (Odawara Kō South Breakwater)
1960. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. The lighthouse is painted white with black bands at the top and bottom and seven fine gray horizontal lines; there's also a metal "hanger" at the top. Su Naka's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo, Masahiro Sato has a 2020 closeup, FOAL's page for the harbor lights has photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The north breakwater light is similar but much shorter. This unusual lighthouse is designed to resemble a traditional chochin lantern. Odawara is famous as the origin of these lanterns, used widely in Japan since the 17th century. The lighthouse was relocated in 1999 when the breakwater was extended. Located at the end of the main breakwater protecting the small harbor of Odawara, on the northwest shore of Sagami Bay; Site and tower closed, but there are excellent views of the lighthouse from the waterfront. . ARLHS JPN-1411; JCG-2421; Admiralty M6326; NGA 5420.

Manazuru Town Lighthouse
Manazuru occupies a mountainous peninsula projecting abruptly into Sagami Bay at the southwestern tip of Kanagawa Prefecture.

Manazuru Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post rising from a round 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a short detached breakwater on the north side of the entrance to Manuzuru harbor, on the north side of the peninsula. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from the waterfront. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1406; JCG-2422; Admiralty M6323; NGA 5424.

South Breakwater Light, Odawara, May 2021
Google Maps photo by Su Naka
* Fukuura Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 8.5 m (26 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on the short east breakwater of Fukuura harbor, on the south side of the peninsula. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1398; JCG-2423; Admiralty M6318; NGA 5428.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Chiba | South: Eastern Shizuoka

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Posted September 25, 2006. Checked and revised July 12, 2023. Lighthouses: 51, lightships: 1. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.