Lighthouses of Japan: Saga (Karatsu Area)

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), 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. Located at the southwestern end of the Japanese archipelago, Kyūshū is divided into seven of the prefectures. This page includes lighthouses of Saga Prefecture on the northwestern coast of the island. This page describes lighthouses of the northern coast of Saga facing the Tsushima Strait, which connects the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Nearly all of this coast is in the metropolitan city of Karatsu. Saga Prefecture also has a short southern coastline facing Ariake Bay. Lighthouses of the Ariake Bay coast are listed on the Kumamoto Area 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. There is at least one Coast Guard Section Office in each prefecture, often two or more. The lights of Saga Prefecture are maintained by the office at Karatsu.

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 - Saga
This site has photos and data for the major Japanese lighthouses.
Form of a Lighthouse - Saga
Another site with many photos of Japanese lighthouses, cited below as FOAL.
Lighthouse Visits
This site has photos for many lighthouses in this area.
Lighthouse-Japan.com - Saga
This site has good photos and background information for many of the major lighthouses.
Our Lighthouses of Saga Prefecture
A comprehensive collection of photos of lighthouses in Saga.
Coast of Japan - Cape/Lighthouse Index
This site has numerous photos of Saga lighthouses. Entirely in Japanese, but lighthouses can be located by their JCG numbers.
Online List of Lights - Japan - Kyushu - North-West Coast
Photos posted by Alexander Trabas.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for northern Kyūshū.


Kakara Shima Light, Karatsu, March 2021
Google Maps photo by hibiki 15

Except for the one lighthouse in Genkai Town all lighthouses listed are in Karatsu City. A historic port known for trading with China, Karatsu today has a population of abaout 120,000.

Hizen District Lighthouses
The Hizen District occupies a peninsula between the west side of Kariya Bay and the north side of Matsuura Bay.
#Takekushi Kō South Breakwater
Date unknown. Inactive since 2020 and since removed. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL's page has 2016 photos, and Google has a 2012 street view across the harbor, but Google's satellite view confirms the removal. Formerly located at the end of the south breakwater of Takakushi harbor in the Hizen district of western Karatsu. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ex-JCG-5906; ex-Admiralty M5255.5; NGA 12152.
Takekushi Kō West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower. Entire lighthouse is red. FOAL's page has photos, Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view and a street view across the harbor. Located at the north end of the detached west breakwater of Takakushi harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5905; Admiralty M5255.7; NGA 12148.
* Miya Saki (Hizen Miyazaki)
1975. Active; focal plane 11.5 m (38 ft); white light, occulting once every 8 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas also has a closeup, a 2022 photo is available, FOAL has several photos, another photo is available, Karatsu City has a photo, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. This lighthouse stands near a Shinto shrine, just offshore on a concrete pier. Located on a prominent cape at the eastern entrance to Matsuura Bay, about 18 km (11 mi) west of Karatsu. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5903; Admiralty M5254.9; NGA 12156.
Muku Shima (Hizen Mukushima)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 80 m (263 ft); white flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) concrete post rising from a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A 2021 closeup photo is at right, a 2020 photo and a view from the sea are available, Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Muku Shima is an island about 3 km (1.8 mi) offshore and 8 km (5 mi) north of Miya Saki. The island is inhabited but we don't know if there is public access to the lighthouse. Located on heights above the south end of the island. Site possibly open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-133; JCG-5899; Admiralty M5256; NGA 12160.
Madara Shima (Hizen Madara Shima)
1962. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white light, occulting twice every 7 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post rising from a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, Trabas has a distant view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Madara Shima is an island about 800 m (1/2 mi) in diameter, located about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Miya Saki. The lighthouse is on a promontory at the southwestern tip of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-132; JCG-5897; Admiralty M5257; NGA 12168.

Hizen Miya Saki Light, Karatsu, 2021
Google Maps photo by Ataru 1

Genkai Town Lighthouse
The independent town of Genkai occupies the east side of Kariya Bay.
Chika Saki
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white light, 5 s on, 5 s off. 9.5 m (31 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory within the grounds of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant. This location is in Genkai Town, which is surrounded by Karatsu City. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-804; JCG-5898; Admiralty M5257.4; NGA 12176.

Yobuko District Lighthouses
Formerly an independent town, Yobuko is a port on the north end of the Karatsu metropolis.

*
Hadono Misaki (Hado Misaki, Hado Saki)
1949 ("reconstructed" in 1990). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower topped by a concrete post and attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A 2022 photo by T.D Tottuanx is at right, Our Lighthouses has a page with good photos, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a closeup, FOAL has a page with photos, another photo is available, Trabas has a drone view, Hideki Iyadomi has a street view from the base of the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Probably the height of the light was increased in 1990 by adding the post atop the original tower. Hadono Misaki (Cape Hado) is a cape at the northernmost point of the Saga mainland. Below the lighthouse, a pedestrian bridge leads to an observation tower with a spectacular view. Located about 20 km (12.5 mi) northwest of Karatsu. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS JPN-2343; JCG-5894; Admiralty M5268; NGA 12180.
* Kakara Shima
1978. Active; focal plane 71 m (233 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A 2021 photo is at the top of this page, the Coast Guard has a photo, another good photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Kakara Shima is an island about 7 km (4.5 mi) north of Hadono Misaki. The lighthouse marks the northernmost point of Saga Prefecture. Located atop a steep bluff on the northern tip of Kakara Shima. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-211; JCG-5882; Admiralty M5265.7; NGA 12708.
Kakara Futame Se
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); continuous white light. 6 m (20 ft) square white concrete building; a spotlight shown through a window illuminates a white concrete post on the Futame Se reef 650 m (0.4 mi) southeast. Trabas has a photo, another photo is available (halfway down the page, #5883), FOAL has a photo (halfway down the page), and there is a small photo of the post on the reef. The building is seen in Google's satellite view and the post is visible in a second satellite view. Located on the heights above the Kakara Shima harbor, at the south end of the island. Site probably open, tower closed. JCG-5883; Admiralty M5265.65; NGA 12188.

Hadono Misaki Light, Karatsu, April 2022
Googhle Maps photo by T.D Tottuanx
* Yobuko Kō Nagoya Bay Breakwater
1963. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL's page has photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The bridge seen in the background of the street view connects the mainland to Kabe Shima. Located at the end of a breakwater on the west side of the entrance to Nagoya Bay in Yobuko harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. ARLHS JPN-2355; JCG-5893; Admiralty M5267; NGA 12196.
* Tateishi Saki (Hizen Tateisi Saki)
1973. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 10.5 m (35 ft) round concrete tower rising from a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is at right, Our Lighthouses has a page with excellent photos, Trabas has a photo, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a closeup photo, FOAL's page has good photos, another good photo is available, and Google has a 2019 street view and a satellite view. Located on the northern tip of Kabe Shima, about 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Yobuko. Site open, tower closed. . JCG-5885; Admiralty M5265.8; NGA 12216.
#Usu Shima (1)
Date unknown. Replaced in 2015. Current light active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 3 s. This was a 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse was white. Our Lighthouses has a page with good photos and another photo is available. In 2015 the lighthouse was replaced by a post centered on a round base. Trabas has a closeup photo, FOAL has a distant view (next to last on the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) north of Yobuko and 1.5 km (1 mi) east of Kabe Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-836. Current light: JCG-5886; Admiralty M5266.2; NGA 12224.
#Yobuko Kō East Entrance North Breakwater
1974. Inactive at least since 2021; possibly replaced by a light on a post. This was a 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse was red. Trabas has a closeup, FOAL has a photo (fifth row, left), and Google has a very distant street view. This light was dropped from the Admiralty list in May 2021. FOAL still has a light listed as active but Google's satellite view confirms the removal of the historic light. Located at the end of the short north breakwater at the entrance to Yobuko harbor east of Kabe Shima. Accessible by walking the pier. JCG-5888; ex-Admiralty M5266.35; NGA 12212.

Tateishi Saki Light, Kabe Shima, Karatsu,April 2024
Instagram photo by atsem758
Yobuko Kō East Entrance Detached Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup, FOAL has a photo (third row, left), a 2022 view is available, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view. Located at the east end of the detached breakwater at the entrance to Yobuko harbor east of Kabe Shima. Accessible only by boat. JCG-5889; Admiralty M5266.3; NGA 12208.
* Yobuko Kō East Entrance South Breakwater
1974. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 3 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup, FOAL has a photo (third row, right), and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view. Located at the end of a breakwater on the south side of the entrance to Yobuko harbor east of Kabe Shima. Accessible by walking the pier. ARLHS JPN-2356; JCG-5890; Admiralty M5266.4; NGA 12204.
Taka Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); three white flashes every 13 s. 11 m (36 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. No closeup photo available; Trabas has a good view, Our Lighthouses has a page with two views, FOAL's page has distant views, there's another distant view, a 2022 view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Taka Shima is a small island northeast of the entrance to the harbor of Yobuko. Located on the southern end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. JCG-5887; Admiralty M5266; NGA 12228.
Yobuko Breakwater Lights
Yobuko East Entrance Detached Breakwater (left) and South Breakwater Lights,
Yobuko Kō; Japanese Coast Guard Karatsu Office photo (no longer online)
#Ogawa Shima (Ogawashima) Kō
Date unknown. Inactive since 2020 and since removed. This was an 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a view from the harbor, and FOAL has a distant view (ninth row). Google's satellite view confirms the removal. Ogawa Shima is an island about 5 km (3 mi) east of Kakara Shima and the same distance northeast of Kabe Shima. The light was deactivated in January 2020. Located on the west inner breakwater of Ogawa Shima harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2357; ex-JCG-5881; ex-Admiralty M5265.4; NGA 12192.
#Hira Se (1)
Date unknown. Replaced. This was an 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower rising from a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a photo, another photo is available, FOAL has a distant view (fourth row from the bottom), and Bing has a distant satellite view. Isoji Takano's 2024 photo shows that the tower has been replced by a light on a post (focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white light, 5 s on, 5 s off.). Located on a small island about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of Kabe Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2345; JCG-5880; Admiralty M5265; NGA 12220.

Minato Harbor Lighthouses
Minato is a port at the northwestern entrance to Karatsu Bay.
Mese Hana
1957. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post attached to a 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Our Lighthouses has a page with photos, Lighthouse-Japan.com has a closeup photo, another closeup is available, Trabas has a drone view, FOAL has photos (halfway down the page), and the light pokes through trees in Google's satellite view. Local guidance probably would be needed to find this lighthouse. Located on a promontory of the mainland about 8 km (5 mi) north of Karatsu. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-345; JCG-5877; Admiralty M5269; NGA 12240.
* Kashiwa Shima (Komiya Saki)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white light occulting once every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) concrete post centered on a round 1-story concrete base; adjoining 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Isoji Takano has the 2024 closeup seen at right, another photo is available, Trabas has a photo, FOAL has a photo (fourth row from the bottom, left), the light is seen across the spit in Kazunori Seki's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the tip of a narrow peninsula that provides a natural breakwater for the harbor of Kashiwa Shima, an island about 1 km (0.6 mi) off Mese Hana. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2351; JCG-5878; Admiralty M5269.02; NGA 12232.
* Kashiwa Shima Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red light occulting once every 6 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is red. The light is centered in Kazunori Seki's photo, Trabas has a closeup, FOAL has a photo (fourth row from the bottom), a 2019 photo is available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located at the end of the south (main) breakwater of Kashiwa Shima. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2350; JCG-5879; Admiralty M5269.04; NGA 12236.
* Minatohama Kō
1965. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a drone view, FOAL has a photo (second row, left), a 2020 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view across the harbor. Located at the end of the north (main) breakwater of Minatohama, a small port in the lee of Mese Hana. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2354; JCG-5875; Admiralty M5269.06; NGA 12244.

Kashiwa Shima, Karatsu, March 2024
Google Maps photo by Isoji Takano

Karatsu Harbor Lighthouses
#Karatsu Tobo Kō No. 2 Breakwater
1964. Removed in 2019. This was an 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse was red. FOAL's page has good photos and Google has a 2013 street view across the harbor. Google's satellite view and a more recent street view confirm the removal of the light. Located at the end of the east breakwater of Tobo harbor, a traditional small boat harbor in eastern Karatsu. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-2365; ex-JCG-5876; ex-Admiralty M5269.5; NGA 12260.
Karatsu Breakwater West Head
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. FOAL has a 2016 photo of the (then) two breakwater lights, Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northwest end of the detached main breakwater of Karatsu. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5870; Admiralty M5269.24; NGA 12248.
#Karatsu Breakwater East Head
Date unknown. Inactive since 2020 and since removed. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a photo and FOAL has a 2016 photo of the (then) two breakwater lights. Google's satellite view confirms the removal. Located at the southeast end of the detached main breakwater of Karatsu. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ex-JCG-5874; ex-Admiralty M5269.22; NGA 12252.
Karatsu (Karatsu Ōshima) (?)
1951. Inactive since 2018. 7.5 m (25 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Lighthouse-Japan.com has a page with good photos, FOAL's page also has good photos, and the lighthouse is shadowed by trees in Bing's satellite view. In view of the encroaching forest it appears this light could not be seen effectively from the sea. The lighthouse may have been demolished. Karatsu Ōshima is a former island, now joined to the mainland by fill, on the east side of Karatsu harbor. Located on heights at the north end of Karatsu Ōshima. Accessible by a footpath; local knowledge required. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-230; ex-JCG-5869; ex-Admiralty M5269.2; NGA 12256.
Karatsu East Harbor West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is red. A portion of Hisayuki Hamada's street view is at right, FOAL's page has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view across the harbor. Located at the southeast end of the detached west breakwater of Karatsu's eastern harbor, southeast of Karatsu Ōshima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5868; Admiralty M5269.7; NGA 12264.
Karatsu East Harbor East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two green flashes every 8 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a closeup, FOAL's page has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view across the harbor. Located at the northwest end of the detached east breakwater of Karatsu's eastern harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5867; Admiralty M5269.62; NGA 12268.
#Taka Shima (West Breakwater)
Date unknown. Removed in 2015. This was a 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Entire lighthouse was white. Google's satellite view confirms the removal of the lighthouse. The light was discontinued in March 2015 and removed shortly thereafter. Located at an elbow on the west breakwater of Taka Shima, an island about 4 km (2.5 mi) off the waterfront of downtown Karatsu. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-611; ex-JCG-5866; ex-Admiralty M5269.6; ex-NGA 12272.
 

East Harbor West Breakwater Light, Karatsu, September 2018
Google Maps street view by Hisayuki Hamada
 

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Iki Shima | East: Fukuoka Area | South: Sasebo Area

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Posted June 25, 2007. Checked and revised June 5, 2024. Lighthouses: 29. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.