A Square Lighthouse at the Mouth of Matoya Bay
The Anorisaki Lighthouse (安乗埼灯台, Anorisaki tōdai) is a square reinforced-concrete lighthouse built in 1948 on the cape at the mouth of Matoya Bay at Anori, Ago-cho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a reinforced-concrete structure 16 metres high with a building area of 27 square metres, registration number 24-0149, owned by the national government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism).
From a Wooden Tower to a Square One
According to the Tokokai, the lighthouse association, Cape Anori guards the entrance to Matoya Bay, a deep inlet in the middle of the Shima Peninsula. With reefs all around, it was counted with Cape Daio and Cape Yoroi among the "three capes of Shima", notorious for shipwrecks.
The first lighthouse here, built under the British engineer R. H. Brunton, was lit on April 1, 1873, the 20th Western-style lighthouse in Japan. It was an octagonal wooden tower burning an oil lamp. When erosion ate into the cape, the light was moved back from the tip; when the ground kept crumbling it was moved again in 1949 and rebuilt as the present square concrete tower. The original wooden tower was moved to the grounds of the Museum of Maritime Science in Tokyo (Tokokai).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the present tower to 1948, while the Tokokai gives 1949.
Why It Was Registered
The Anorisaki Lighthouse was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its geometric composition, stripped of ornament, as part of the historic landscape of the cape.
The Tokokai describes it as the only square tower among the lighthouses it opens to the public.
What to Look For
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a tower 2.9 metres square in plan, with an attached annexe, carries a cylindrical lamp room topped by an octagonal steel lantern, 16 metres high overall. Look at how the shape changes as it rises, from square to round to octagonal.
The lighthouse stands in lawned parkland, and from the top you look down over Matoya Bay (Tokokai). The light gives a single white flash every 15 seconds and carries 16.5 nautical miles, about 31 kilometres.
Visiting
The Anorisaki Lighthouse is one of the Tokokai's climbable lighthouses. The donation is 300 yen for visitors of junior-high age and above, free for younger children. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (to 4:30 p.m. at weekends and holidays from March to October), with last entry 15 minutes before closing (Tokokai).
Nearby, the Shima City lighthouse museum displays a one-third scale model of the original tower among other material (Tokokai). Enquiries go to the Tokokai Anorisaki office (0599-47-5622).
From Ugata Station on the Kintetsu Shima Line, take the Mie Kotsu Anori line bus for about 20 minutes to Anorisaki Todai-guchi and walk about 15 minutes. By car it is about 1 hour from the Ise-nishi interchange of the Ise Expressway (Tokokai).
Q&A
- When was the Anorisaki Lighthouse built?
- The present tower dates from 1948 according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, or 1949 according to the Tokokai. The original wooden lighthouse was lit in 1873.
- Why is the Anorisaki Lighthouse square?
- It was rebuilt in square reinforced concrete in the Showa era. The Tokokai calls it the only square tower among its climbable lighthouses.
- Can I climb the Anorisaki Lighthouse?
- Yes. The Tokokai opens it to visitors for a donation of 300 yen (junior-high age and above).
- Where is the original Anorisaki Lighthouse?
- According to the Tokokai, the original wooden tower was moved to the grounds of the Museum of Maritime Science in Tokyo.
- How do I get to the Anorisaki Lighthouse?
- Take the Mie Kotsu Anori line bus from Ugata Station on the Kintetsu Shima Line for about 20 minutes to Anorisaki Todai-guchi, then walk about 15 minutes (Tokokai).
Basic Information
| Name | Anorisaki Lighthouse (安乗埼灯台) |
|---|---|
| Location | 795 Koyama, Anori, Ago-cho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/03/29 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 16 metres high, building area 27 square metres |
| Owner | National government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |
| Public Access | Open to visitors (Tokokai; donation 300 yen) |
References
- Anorisaki Lighthouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009497
- Anorisaki Lighthouse (Tokokai, Japanese)
- https://www.tokokai.org/tourlight/tourlight08/
Last verified: 2026.10.14