Lighthouses of Japan: Eastern Yamaguchi

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 on the southeastern coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture, 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 lists lighthouses of the southeastern corner of the prefecture facing the Hiroshima Bay and Iyo Bay portions of the Seto Inland Sea coast; the Southern Yamaguchi page has the lighthouses of Suo Bay and the Kanmon Strait, and the Western Yamaguchi page has lighthouses of the prefecture's Sea of Japan coast.

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 kō or minato is a harbor.

Lighthouses in Japan are operated and maintained by the Japanese Coast Guard's Maritime Safety Agency. On Honshū there is generally at least one Coast Guard Section Office in each prefecture, often two or more. The situation in Yamaguchi is more complicated. The extreme southeastern portion of the prefecture is under the jurisdiction of the Hiroshima Office in neighboring Hiroshima Prefecture, while the remaining lights on this page are maintained by the Tokuyama Office in the city of Shūnan.

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:
Online List of Lights - Japan - Honshu - Seto Naikai and Southwest Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Some of the photos from this area are by Michael Boucher.
Lighthouse-Japan.com - Yamaguchi
Another comprehensive site with photos and notes from visits to many lighthouses.
Lighthouse Visits
Another comprehenisve site with photos of most Yamaguchi lighthouses.
Lighthouses in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World Lights - Japan: Modern Lighthouses
Historic postcard views posted by Michel Forand.
Google Maps
Satellite view of southeastern Yamaguchi Prefecture.


Kuka Kō Light, Suō-Ōshima, AJanuary 2026
Google Maps photo by M “LIZ” N

Hiroshima Bay (Hiroshima Coast Guard District) Lighthouses

Hiroshima Bay is a broad. mostly shallow inlet on the north side of the Seto Inland Sea. The city of Hiroshima is at the head of the bay. Hiroshima Prefecture surrounds and includes most of the bay, but the southern 2/3 of its west coast is in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Iwakuni City Lighthouse
Iwakuni is a large industrial city on the west side of Hiroshima Bay. Americans may be familiar with it as the site of the Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station.

Hashira Shima (Hashirajima) East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has Boucher's 2019 photo and Google has a satellite view and a distant 2026 street view. Hashira is a small island in the center of Hiroshima Bay, accessible by passenger ferry from the Iwakuni waterfront. Located at the end of the main breakwater of Hashira Shima. Site status unknown. JCG-4709; Admiralty M5662; NGA 8920.

Suō-Ōshima Town Lighthouses
The municipality of Suō-Ōshima occupies the island of Yashiro Shima at the south end of Hiroshima Bay. One of the largest islands of the Inland Sea, Yashiro Shima is about 30 km (19 mi) in length. It is accessible from the mainland by the Ōshima Bridge, built in 1976 across a strait having one of the fastest and most dangerous tidal currents in Japan.

* Kuka Kō
1971. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); two white flashes every 8 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, centered on a round 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. There is a keeper's house nearby. A 2026 photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has a closeup 2019 photo, Lighthouse Visit also has a page with photos, and Google also has a satellite view. Kuka is a port on the north side of Yashiro Shima. Located on a promontory northeast of the waterfront of Kuka. Accessible by road but parking is limited. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-297; JCG-4795; Admiralty M5658; NGA 9100.
Ihota Kō
1981. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a closeup photo, Lighthouse Visit has photos (bottom of the page), and Google has a street view, a sea view, and a satellite view. Located at the end of a detached breakwater at Ihota, near the easternmost tip of the island of Yashiro Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-4797; Admiralty M5657; NGA 9108.
Nasake Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round white concrete post centered on a hexagonal concrete pier. Trabas has Boucher's photo, a 2020 photo and a 2023 photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the southern tip of Nasake Shima, marking the 500 m (0.3 mi) wide strait between that island and the northeastern tip of Yashiro Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-4929.4; Admiralty M5646.3; NGA 9190.
Oishi (Oisi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); one long and two short green flashes every 8 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower, mounted on a round concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is green. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the southeastern tip of Yashiro Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-4930; Admiralty M5645.4; NGA 9192.
Kominase Shima (2)
1968 (heightened in 1991) (station established 1927). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) 2-stage round cylindrical concrete tower with two galleries on the lower stage; the upper stage is a slender concrete post. Entire lighthouse is white. Takashi Saiki has the 2019 photo at right, a closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. The original light was on a skeletal tower. In 1991 the lantern of the present tower was removed and replaced by the upper stage. Located on the southeastern tip of a small island about 8 km (5 mi) south of the southeastern corner of Yashiro Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1628; JCG-4916; Admiralty M5644; NGA 9148.
Kominase Shima Light, Suō-Ōshima, September 2019
Google Maps photo by Takashi Saiki
Okikamuro Shima Naga Se
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); four green flashes (long-short-long-short) every 13 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower, mounted on a round concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is green. Kenichiro Asai has a 2022 photo Trabas has a photo, S. Katsuragi has a 2025 closeup, Lighthouse Visit has photos (halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef just off the southern tip of Okikamuro Shima, a small island off the south coast of Yashiro Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-4934; Admiralty M5641; NGA 9202.
* Agenosho Kō (Agenosyoko)
1964. 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 square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire structure covered with red tile. Trabas has a closeup photo, Lighthouses Visits has a photo (last lighthouse on the page), and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at a breakwater of Agenosho Kō, a port on the south side of Yashiro Shima. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1603; JCG-4937; Admiralty M5639; NGA 9212.
Shimo-Ninai (Simo-Ninai) Shima
1937. Active; focal plane 118 m (387 ft); four white flashes every 14 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the front of a semicircular 1-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. Kento Tashiro's 2026 drone view is at right, Trabas has a distant photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the summit of a small island in the south entrance to the channel between Yashiro Shima and the mainland, about 15 km (9 mi) south southeast of Yanai. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1657; JCG-4938; Admiralty M5628; NGA 9216.

Shimo-Ninai Shima Light, Suō-Ōshima, August 2026
Google Maps photo by Kento Tashiro
O Iso
1937. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Kenichiro Asai has the 2024 photo at right, Trabas has Boucher's 2019 photo, and Google has a satellite view and a distant sea view. The lighthouse was originally painted with red and black horizontal bands, but according to the Coast Guard it has been all white since 1986. The lighthouse stands on a dangerous rock in the narrow channel between Yashiro Shima and the mainland. Located about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of the Oshima Bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1647; JCG-4799; Admiralty M5636; NGA 9112.

Yanai City Lighthouses
Yanai Kō (Outer Breakwater)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has Boucher's closeup photo, this is the first lighthouse on the Lighthouse Visits page, and Google has a distant street view, a sea view, and a satellite view. Located at the west end of a detached breakwater off Yanai harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1675; JCG-4801.5; Admiralty M5634.5; NGA 9116.
Yanai Kō East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has Boucher's photo, this is the second lighthouse on the Lighthouse Visits page, and Google has a sea view and a satellite view. Located on a detached breakwater opposite the Outer Breakwater light (previous entry). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1676; JCG-4802; Admiralty M5632; NGA 9120.
Yanai Kō West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a photo, this is the third lighthouse on the Lighthouse Visits page, and Google has a sea view and a satellite view. Located on a detached breakwater at the west entrance to Yanai harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1677; JCG-4803; Admiralty M5634; NGA 9124.

O Iso Light, Suō-Ōshima, May 2024
Google Maps photo by Kenichiro Asai

Iyo Bay (Tokuyama Coast Guard District) Lighthouses

Iyo Bay is the westernmost major basin of the Seto Inland Sea. Irregular in outline, it borders Honshū to the north, Shikoku to the southeast, and Kyūshū to the southwest.

Kaminoseki Town Lighthouses
Ya Shima
Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 61 m (200 ft); white flash every 10 s. 11.5 m (37 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. The Coast Guard has a distant photo, Yumi Nosuke has a closeup 2017 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is an important light, since Ya Shima is the southernmost island of the Bōyo (Hōyo) Islands, the group that includes Suō-Ōshima. East-west ship traffic in the Inland Sea must round this point to continue in either direction. Located on a steep slope at the southern end of the island, a location that appears difficult to access. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-742; JCG-4918; Admiralty M5414; NGA 9160.
Hojiro (Hoziro) Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); white flash every 3 s. 7 m (23 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. A drone view and a view from the sea are available and Google has a satellite view. Located atop an islet about 11 km (6.5 mi) west of the Ya Shima lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-135; JCG-4919; Admiralty M5412; NGA 9164.
Kaijikake (Kazekaki) Iwa
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); one short and one long green flash every 8 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower, flared strongly at the top and mounted on a round concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is green. Kenichiro Asai has the closeup 2026 photo at right, Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock off the southeastern tip of the Kumage peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-4939; Admiralty M5627; NGA 9220.

Kaijikake Iwa Light, Kaminoseki, April 2026
Google Maps photo by Kenichiro Asai
* Murotsu (Murotu)
1936. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white or red light depending on direction, 3 s on, 3 s off. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. A 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo, Lighthouse Visit has a page with photos, Kenichiro Asai has a view from the sea, and Google has a 2025 street view and a satellite view. Located under the north end of the Kaminoseki Bridge, marking the narrow channel between Naga Shima and the mainland. Google also has a street view across the strait showing the bridge and the lighthouse. Site and tower closed; although roads pass within a few feet of the lighthouse there is no parking available. ARLHS JPN-1639; JCG-5110; Admiralty M5626; NGA 9436.
Hanaguri Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post centered on a round concrete equioment building. Entire lighthouse is white. A drone view is available, Tsuyoshi Chiba has a 2024 view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Hanaguri Shima is a small island off the southwestern end of Naga Shima. Located on the western tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1615; JCG-4943; Admiralty M5410; NGA 9232.
* Shiraita (Siraida) Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a closeup photo and Google has a 2025 street view and a satellite view. The light is painted white in the street view but all sources describe it as red today. Located at the end of the breakwater of Shiraita, a small harbor on the north coast of Naga Shima. Accessible by walking the pier. ARLHS JPN-1659; JCG-5116; Admiralty M5407.4; NGA 9460.
Kame Iwa
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red light, one short and one long red flash every 8 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower wth lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a photo, Kenichiro Asai has a 2024 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rocky reef about 400 m (1/4 mi) off the northern point of Naga Shima. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5115; Admiralty M5408; NGA 9456.

Murotsu Light, Kaminoseki, July 2023
Google Maps photo by Blue Cylinder

Hirao Town Lighthouses
Suō Ikada Se
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); one short and one long green flash every 8 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower mounted on a large concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is green. Trabas has a photo, Kenichiro Asai has a 2022 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal about 1.7 km (1.1 mi) west northwest of the Kame Iwa light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5117; Admiralty M5407; NGA 9464.
Hirao Saga (Hiraosaga) Kō
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); continuous red light with a more intense flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a closeup photo and Google has a 2025 street view and a satellite view. Located at the west end of detached breakwater at the entrance to Saga harbor in Hirao. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1618; JCG-5118; Admiralty M5408.5; NGA 9468.

Tabuse Town Lighthouse
Maru Iwa
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red light, one short and one long red flash every 8 s. 11 m (36 ft) concrete post, attached to a 1-story concrete equipment shelter and mounted on a concrete pier. Entire lighthouse is red. Toshio Munechika has a closeup 2025 photo, Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view. Located on a reef in the entrance to Hirao harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. JCG-5119; Admiralty M5406.5; NGA 9472.

Hikari City Lighthouses
* Murozumi Kō
1949. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire structure is white. Toshio Ienaga has a closeup 2013 photo, Trabas has a photo, Lighthouse Visit has a page for the light, and Google has a 2018 street view and a satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater at the tip of a hook-shaped spit sheltering the harbor of Murozumi. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1641; JCG-5122; Admiralty M5406; NGA 9484.
Ominase Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. A 2021 photo is at right, Kenichiro Asai has a 2024 view from the sea, Trabas has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock off the southern tip of Ominase Shima, a small island off Hikari. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1649; JCG-5123; Admiralty M5405; NGA 9488.

Ominase Shima Light, Hikari, August 2021
Google Maps photo by Mt 1935
Hikari Kō South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post centered on a square 1-story equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a closeup photo, this is the first lighthouse on the Lighthouse Visits page, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater at the entrance to Hikari harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1617; JCG-5124; Admiralty M5405.4; NGA 9492.
Hikari Kō Shimada Quay
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); continuous green light with a more intense flash every 3 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post centered on a square 1-story equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse is white. Trabas has a photo, a 2021 photo is available, this is the second lighthouse on the Lighthouse Visits page, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater at the end of the Shimada Quay. Site status unknown. ARLHS JPN-1656; JCG-5124.5; Admiralty M5405.2; NGA 9494.

Kudamatsu City Lighthouse
Hiburi Saki (Kasado Shima)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 4 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Kenichiro Asai has a 2024 drone view, Trabas has a distant drone view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse stands atop a rocky islet just off the southern tip of Kasado Shima, about 10 km (6 mi) south of Kudamatsu. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-109; JCG-5136; Admiralty M5404.4; NGA 9508.

Shūnan (Tokuyama) City Lighthouses
Iwa Shima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 10.5 m (31 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Trabas has a 2019 photo, another photo is available, Katsuhiro Okada has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. This lighthouse stands atop a rocky islet in the middle of the entrance to Tokuyama Bay, about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Kudamatsu. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1620; JCG-5143; Admiralty M5400; NGA 9520.

Iwa Shima Light, Shūnan
Japanese Coast Guard Tokuyama Office photo
* Kudamatsu (1)
1893. Inactive for many years. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) unpainted square pyramidal stone tower with a stone lantern of traditional form. Nobufumi Yoshida has a 2016 street view, and Google has a 2022 street view and a satellite view. According to a blog this is the oldest lighthouse of Shūnan. Probably it has been relocated for display. The blog also has photos of a similar beacon, with no lantern, that formerly stood on the Harumi pier; its current location is unknown. Located on the Kudamatsu waterfront in Tokuyama. Site open, tower closed.
* Tokuyama (Tikko Breakwater)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round white concrete tower with gallery, attached to a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Ken Katsu has the 2023 closeup photo seen at right, Trabas has a closeup photo, Koi Nobori has a 2019 photo, and Google has a 2021 street view and a satellite view. The design of this tower suggests that it may have had a lantern in the past. Located on a short breakwater in the old harbor of Tokuyama. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1666; JCG-5151; Admiralty M5404; NGA 9536.
Chinoikada (Oki-no-ikada)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8 m (26 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is white. A 2021 view from the sea is available, Trabas has a photo, this is the second lighthouse on the Lighthouse Visits page, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef in Tokuyama Kudamatsu harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JPN-1648; JCG-5158; Admiralty M5401.6; NGA 9544.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Tokuyama Light, Shūnan, April 2023
Google Maps photo by Ken Katsu

Adjoining pages: East: Kure and Hiroshima | West: Southern Yamaguchi

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Posted January 25, 2007. Checked and revised October 16, 2026. Lighthouses: 32. Site copyright 2026 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.