Where the Kyushu Cable Came Ashore
The Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room (旧平礒水底線陸揚室, Kyū Hiraiso suiteisen rikuageshitsu) is a reinforced concrete communications building of 1927 in Hiraiso, Ikata Town, Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 1, 2003. It is where a submarine communications cable laid across the Iyo Sea from Saganoseki in Oita Prefecture was brought ashore. Ikata Town owns it.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a reinforced concrete building with a building area of 35 square metres and a stone retaining wall; its registration number is 38-0051. According to Ikata Town, it stands on a small cove locally called Gondo, reached down a steep slope from a point roughly midway between the Hiraiso and Kamaki districts of the Sadamisaki Peninsula.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs regards this cable house facing the Iyo Sea as a communications facility that tells part of the story of the peninsula's modernisation.
Ikata Town explains that it was built in March 1927 to connect Shiuki in Saganoseki, Oita, with Hiraiso by a 44.2 km submarine cable. At the time, telephone communication was possible only by wire, and links with Kyushu and Honshu across the sea developed rapidly as such cables spread.
What to Look For
Start with the base. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the reinforced concrete house sits on a platform of finely coursed granite masonry, a fitting foundation for a building at the water's edge.
The house is small, but carefully designed. Its walls have a rough German-style render, the openings are trimmed with brick tiles, and an arched canopy shelters the entrance (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Ikata Town notes how the entrance arch, the tiled window frames and the stucco walls capture the modernism of the day.
Visiting the Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room
The Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room stands on a cove reached down a steep slope between Hiraiso and Kamaki (Ikata Town). No official information on visiting hours, parking or directions was found. The descent is rough underfoot, so watch the weather and the tide. There is also no guidance on interior access or photography; check with Ikata Town.
Q&A
- When was the Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room built?
- In 1927; Ikata Town says it was installed in March of that year.
- When was the Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room registered as a cultural property?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 1, 2003.
- What was the Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room used for?
- It brought ashore a 44.2 km submarine communications cable linking Shiuki in Saganoseki, Oita, with Hiraiso.
- What does the building look like?
- A small reinforced concrete house on finely coursed granite masonry, with German-style rendered walls, brick-tile trim around the openings and an arched entrance canopy.
- How do I reach the landing room?
- It lies on a cove down a steep slope between Hiraiso and Kamaki; there are no official directions, so check with Ikata Town.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room (旧平礒水底線陸揚室) |
|---|---|
| Location | 392 Hiraiso, Ikata Town, Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/12/1 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, building area 35 square metres, with stone retaining wall |
| Owner | Ikata Town |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable (no official directions or interior access information) |
References
- Former Hiraiso Underwater Line Landing Room (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003722
- Cultural properties of the Misaki area (Ikata Town)
- https://www.town.ikata.ehime.jp/site/rekishibunka/1594.html
Last verified: 2026.10.05