A Granite Lighthouse on the Bisan Strait
The Ogijima Lighthouse (男木島灯台) is a stone Western-style lighthouse built in 1895 at the northern tip of Ogijima island, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, facing the Bisan Strait. Together with its former staff rest house and former No. 1 storehouse, it was designated an Important Cultural Property (structure) on January 15, 2026 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the lighthouse as stone and metal with a building area of 26.07 square metres, the former staff rest house as single-storey brick with a pantiled roof and a building area of 84.52 square metres, and the former No. 1 storehouse as single-storey brick with a pantiled roof and a building area of 35.55 square metres. The designation number is 02801, and the owners are the national government (Japan Coast Guard) and Takamatsu City. One old nameplate, one enclosure, one stone wall and one old sundial are designated with them as attached items (Kagawa Prefecture).
Sea Routes and Construction
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Ogijima Lighthouse was built to serve the sea traffic that grew under shipping subsidies after the First Sino-Japanese War. Work began in May 1895 under the Ministry of Communications' lighthouse office and was completed that December.
Kagawa Prefecture notes that the Bisan Strait is a difficult passage and that the Ogijima Lighthouse is one of the Western-style lighthouses placed at key points on major routes as Japan modernised.
Value as an Important Cultural Property
The Ogijima Lighthouse was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2026 as a structure of outstanding design and of high historical value. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it highly in the history of modern sea transport and as a highly accomplished stone structure.
The former staff rest house and former No. 1 storehouse survive from the original construction and are preserved together with the lighthouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the tower and the single-storey annex on its south side are of masonry, topped by a metal lantern. The granite, probably local, is finely dressed, and lighthouses with unpainted outer walls like this one are rare in Japan.
A 2017 island guide from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism lists the Ogijima Lighthouse among the 50 Lighthouses of Japan, describes it as built entirely of granite (Aji stone), and notes that it was a setting for the film and TV drama Yorokobi mo Kanashimi mo Ikutoshitsuki (Times of Joy and Sorrow).
Visiting
The former staff rest house is open as the Ogijima Lighthouse Museum, introducing the locations of lighthouses across Japan and the history and life of Ogijima. A Takamatsu City island guide (with data as of 2015) gives opening on Sundays and public holidays, daily from July 1 to August 31, with free admission; please check current opening with Takamatsu City before visiting.
Ogijima is about 40 minutes by ferry from Takamatsu Port, and the island is explored on foot (Takamatsu City). The address is 1062 Ogi-cho, Takamatsu City.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- It was completed in December 1895 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is designated?
- The lighthouse, the former staff rest house and the former No. 1 storehouse, with an old nameplate, an enclosure, a stone wall and an old sundial as attached items (Kagawa Prefecture).
- What makes it unusual?
- Its finely dressed granite walls are left unpainted, which is rare among lighthouses in Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Is there a museum?
- Yes. The former staff rest house is open as the Ogijima Lighthouse Museum (Takamatsu City).
- When was the Ogijima Lighthouse designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On January 15, 2026.
Basic Information
| Name | Ogijima Lighthouse (男木島灯台) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1062 Ogi-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2026/01/15 (Reiwa 8) |
| Quantity | 1 structure, 2 buildings |
| Dimensions | Lighthouse: stone and metal, building area 26.07 square metres; former staff rest house and former No. 1 storehouse: single-storey brick, pantiled roofs |
| Owner | Japan Coast Guard (national government) and Takamatsu City |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable; museum open on Sundays, holidays and in summer |
References
- Ogijima Lighthouse: Lighthouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00005887
- Ogijima Lighthouse: Former Staff Rest House (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00005888
- Ogijima Lighthouse: Former No. 1 Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00005889
- Ogijima Lighthouse (Cultural Heritage Online, in Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/642722
- Designation of Ogijima Lighthouse and Related Facilities (Kagawa Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/documents/57802/ogishimatoushin.pdf
- Ogijima island guide (Takamatsu City, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/documents/8266/p09-10.pdf
- Ogijima island guide (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in Japanese)
- https://www1.mlit.go.jp/common/001197478.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.13