A First-Order Lighthouse of 1898 on the Sea of Japan
The Kyogamisaki Lighthouse (経ケ岬灯台) is a Western-style lighthouse on the Sea of Japan with a first-order lens of 1898 in Tangocho Sodeshi, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 12, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records the lighthouse, 13.7 metres high, and the stone former first storehouse; designation number 02752.
The Northernmost Point of Kyoto on the Sea of Japan
Kyogamisaki Lighthouse, a Western-style lighthouse of 1898, stands on Cape Kyogamisaki at the northern tip of Kyoto Prefecture's Sea of Japan coast, looking east over Wakasa Bay (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was designed and supervised by the lighthouse office of the Ministry of Communications and is 13.7 metres high. The lighthouse and the stone former first storehouse are designated.
According to a Kyotango City press release, it was begun in 1896 and first lit on December 25, 1898.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency values it as a lighthouse that served shipping off the Kinki coast of the Sea of Japan and pioneered the mercury-bath rotating mechanism.
A Pioneer of the Mercury Float
Built as lighthouse construction advanced in the late Meiji period with wider shipping subsidies after the Sino-Japanese War, it is a Sea of Japan lighthouse with a first-order lens that served the safety and growth of shipping off the Kinki region (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was the first to adopt a mercury-bath rotating mechanism, floating the heavy lens on mercury to turn it easily, which made stronger light and varied flash patterns possible.
What to Look For
Look for the white stone lighthouse on the cape over Wakasa Bay and the lantern with its first-order lens (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the national government (Japan Coast Guard) (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to a Kyotango City press release of October 2022, the exterior can normally be seen freely, and the interior can be visited on the open day held by the Maizuru Coast Guard Office around Lighthouse Day (November 1).
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1898 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How tall is it?
- 13.7 metres.
- What was new about it?
- The mercury-bath rotating mechanism.
- Can I go inside?
- On the open day around November 1.
- When was the Kyogamisaki Lighthouse designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On December 12, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kyogamisaki Lighthouse (経ケ岬灯台) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kyogamisaki, Tangocho Sodeshi, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2022/12/12 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 2 structures |
| Dimensions | Lighthouse: metal and stone, 82.36 m² |
| Owner | National Government (Japan Coast Guard) |
| Public Access | The exterior can be seen freely (Kyotango City) |
References
- Kyogamisaki Lighthouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00005468
- Kyogamisaki Lighthouse to be designated (Kyotango City, October 2022, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kyotango.lg.jp/material/files/group/1/20221012_n194.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.28
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Kyogasaki Lighthouse Former First Storage Shed 0.00 km
- Kyogasaki Lighthouse lighthouse 0.04 km