Southern Kyushu's Oldest Western Lighthouse
The Kurasaki Lighthouse (鞍埼灯台) is a Western-style lighthouse of 1884 in Nakamura, Nango-cho, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 9, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a metal and concrete structure with a building area of 107.62 square metres, designated together with 2 boundary walls and 1 set of the former automatic weight-winding gear for the rotating lens; designation number 02786.
A Lighthouse on a Cliff above the Hyuga Sea
The Kurasaki Lighthouse is a Western-style lighthouse on a cliff about 84 metres above sea level at the southern tip of an island in the Hyuga Sea, a difficult stretch for shipping (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was built in the Meiji era as a major navigation mark to secure the route between Yokohama and Hong Kong, and was completed and first lit on August 15, 1884.
It was designed by an engineer of the Ministry of Public Works (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The lighthouse is 14.1 metres high, with an annex wrapped round the foot of the tower and the whole painted white. The tower is of unreinforced concrete on a regular 12-sided plan, and the lantern is a metal frame glazed in a square lattice above and triangular lattices in its lower 2 tiers.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency values it as the oldest surviving Western-style lighthouse in southern Kyushu, which has guarded ships in the southern Hyuga Sea since the early Meiji era, and as one of the earliest concrete structures in Japan, built under the lead of Japanese engineers.
What to Look For
Look for the 12-sided unreinforced concrete tower and the metal lantern of square and triangular lattices (Agency for Cultural Affairs), set off by the annex round its base and the all-white paint.
Visiting
It is owned by the national government, Japan Coast Guard (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on travel to the island or access to the lighthouse was found.
Q&A
- When was the Kurasaki Lighthouse built?
- In 1884; it was first lit on August 15 that year (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why was it built?
- To secure the shipping route between Yokohama and Hong Kong.
- What is special about it?
- Its 12-sided unreinforced concrete tower is one of the earliest concrete structures in Japan.
- What else is designated with it?
- 2 boundary walls and 1 set of the former automatic weight-winding gear.
- When was the Kurasaki Lighthouse designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On December 9, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kurasaki Lighthouse (鞍埼灯台) |
|---|---|
| Location | Nakamura, Nango-cho, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2024/12/09 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Metal and concrete, 107.62 m², 14.1 m high |
| Owner | National government (Japan Coast Guard) |
| Public Access | No official information on travel or access |
References
- Kurasaki Lighthouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00005636
Last verified: 2026.10.19