Kashinozaki Lighthouse and the Ertuğrul Incident Sites: Where Japan's Oldest Stone Lighthouse Meets a Story of International Friendship
At the eastern tip of Kii Oshima Island in Wakayama Prefecture stands a slender white tower that has guided mariners since the dawn of Japan's modern age. The Kashinozaki Lighthouse, first lit on July 8, 1870, is the oldest stone lighthouse in Japan still in active service. Yet for visitors who make the journey to this windswept cliff, the lighthouse is only the beginning of the story.
On the night of September 16, 1890, a typhoon drove the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul onto the jagged rocks just offshore. The disaster claimed 587 lives, but the desperate rescue carried out by the islanders of Oshima would, more than a century later, return as a gesture of gratitude that saved hundreds of Japanese citizens stranded in war-torn Tehran. In 2021, the entire site — lighthouse, shipwreck reef, landing place, and the cemetery of the Ottoman sailors — was designated a National Historic Site of Japan, recognizing the layered significance of this remarkable headland.
A Lighthouse Built for a New Era
The Kashinozaki Lighthouse rises 14.6 meters above a cliff that drops 38 meters to the Pacific. It was the very first of the so-called "Treaty Lighthouses" — eight modern lighthouses that the Tokugawa shogunate agreed to build under the 1866 Tariff Convention concluded with the United States, Britain, France, and the Netherlands.
The Work of Richard Henry Brunton
The lighthouse was designed by Richard Henry Brunton, a young Scottish engineer recruited from Britain to lead Japan's lighthouse program. Working from the standard specifications of the Stevenson firm of Edinburgh — the legendary family of lighthouse engineers — Brunton arrived in Japan in 1868 at just twenty-eight years old. Of all the lighthouses he would design during his eight-year tenure, Kashinozaki was the first to be illuminated, making it a foundational monument of Japan's modern engineering history.
Beyond lighthouses, Brunton's contributions to Japan were extraordinary: he built twenty-six lighthouses, designed Yokohama Park, established Japan's first telegraph line between Tokyo and Yokohama, and constructed the country's first iron truss bridge. Kashinozaki stands as the proud first chapter of that legacy.
Stone from the Local Coast
The lighthouse was constructed using Utsugi stone, a volcanic rock quarried at Utsugi along the Kozagawa River and transported by boat down to the coast and across to the island. The original tower stood only 4.5 meters tall and was later raised to its present height, but the foundation level and the upper lantern room retain their original Meiji-era structure. As Japan's first revolving flash lighthouse, it sent a beam visible up to 18.5 nautical miles (about 34 km) out to sea, flashing twice every twenty seconds.
The Adjacent Keeper's Quarters
Just beside the tower stands the original keeper's residence, also designed by Brunton in 1870. After the lighthouse was automated in 1970, the quarters were carefully restored in 2011 — the white plaster exterior renewed, and the painted wood-grain finishes on doors and windows recreated using the original techniques. The building is registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property and is open to visitors who wish to step inside Japan's oldest surviving stone lighthouse residence.
The Night the Ertuğrul Met the Storm
In June 1890, after an eleven-month voyage from Istanbul, the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul arrived in Yokohama carrying Sultan Abdülhamid II's first formal envoy to Japan. The mission, led by Commander Osman Pasha, presented imperial decorations to Emperor Meiji and was warmly received during a stay of more than three months.
On September 15, the Ertuğrul departed Yokohama for the long return voyage, sailing into typhoon season despite Japanese advice to wait out the weather. The next night, around 9 p.m., violent winds drove the aging warship onto the submerged reef known as Funagōra, lying about 100 meters off the cliff and 200 to 300 meters southwest of the cape. Seawater flooded the engine room, triggering a steam explosion that sent the ship to the bottom. More than 600 men were thrown into the raging sea.
The Lighthouse as Beacon of Survival
A handful of survivors, hurled against the cliffs below the lighthouse, somehow climbed the sheer rock face by aiming for the rotating light overhead. They reached the keeper's door and pounded for help. The two lighthouse keepers, unable to communicate in any shared language, identified the visitors as Ottoman naval personnel through international signal flags and immediately dispatched word to the headman of Oshima village.
An Outpouring of Aid from a Poor Village
What followed has been retold in Japan and Türkiye ever since. The villagers of Oshima — themselves cut off by the typhoon, with food stores nearly empty — gave everything they had. They distributed their summer kimonos for warmth, brought rice, eggs, and sweet potatoes to feed the wounded, and even slaughtered the chickens they had been keeping for emergencies. Three local doctors worked through the night. Sixty-nine men out of 656 were saved. Survivors were later transported to Kobe for medical care and then carried home to the Ottoman Empire aboard the Imperial Japanese Navy warships Hiei and Kongō.
Why the Site Was Designated a National Historic Site
The 2021 designation recognizes that the four components of the site form an inseparable whole. The Kashinozaki Lighthouse is preserved as one of the earliest works of Japan's modern infrastructure. The Funagōra reef, where the Ertuğrul struck and broke apart, marks the precise location of the disaster. The Landing Site below the cliff is where survivors first reached shore. The Memorial Cemetery, set on the headland between the reef and the lighthouse, is where the Ottoman sailors were laid to rest by the people who had tried so hard to save them.
Together, the sites tell a story that goes beyond a single shipwreck. They illuminate the early history of disaster response in modern Japan, the awakening of maritime safety awareness, and — most powerfully — the beginning of an enduring friendship between Japan and Türkiye that has now lasted more than 130 years.
The Debt Repaid: Tehran, 1985
For nearly a century, the Ertuğrul disaster was remembered far more vividly in Türkiye than in Japan. Turkish schoolchildren read about the kindness of Oshima's villagers in their textbooks, and the story passed quietly down the generations.
Then, in March 1985, during the Iran–Iraq War, Iraqi president Saddam Hussein announced that any aircraft over Iranian airspace would be attacked indiscriminately within forty-eight hours. Some 215 Japanese citizens were trapped in Tehran with no Japanese rescue plane forthcoming. With barely an hour to spare before the deadline, two Turkish Airlines aircraft arrived in Tehran and flew every Japanese national to safety. Around 500 Turkish residents were left to evacuate by land instead. When asked why, the Turkish ambassador to Japan replied simply that Türkiye had not forgotten the kindness shown a century earlier off the coast of Kashinozaki.
Highlights for Visitors
The Lighthouse and Its View
Although the interior is closed to the public, an external staircase allows visitors to climb to the lookout level encircling the tower. From here, the Pacific stretches uninterrupted toward the horizon, and on clear days the view extends as far as Cape Kandori in the town of Taiji. The headland sits within Yoshino-Kumano National Park and is a recognized geosite of the Nankii-Kumano UNESCO Global Geopark.
The Memorial Cemetery and Monument
A short walk from the lighthouse leads to the cemetery and the Memorial Monument for the Fallen Sailors of the Ertuğrul. The original stone, "Stele of the Stricken Turkish Warship," was erected in 1891 by local volunteers — only months after the tragedy. Memorial ceremonies are now held every five years, jointly hosted by Kushimoto Town and the Embassy of Türkiye in Tokyo.
The Türkiye Memorial Museum
Opened in December 1974 and renewed in 2015, the Türkiye Memorial Museum displays a model of the Ertuğrul, salvaged artifacts recovered during underwater surveys, period photographs, and props from the 2015 Japan–Türkiye co-production film Kainan 1890. From the second-floor terrace, visitors can look directly out toward the Funagōra reef, the very place where the ship went down.
The Daffodils of Brunton
In winter, the headland is carpeted with sweet-scented daffodils said to descend from bulbs planted by British engineers during the lighthouse's earliest years. From late January through February, the white blossoms transform the cliffs into one of the most distinctive seasonal landscapes in southern Wakayama.
Around the Site
The Kashinozaki headland is part of Kii Oshima Island, which is connected to the mainland of Honshu by the elegant Kushimoto Ohashi Bridge. The wider area offers many other attractions worth combining into a day trip: the dramatic seaside rock formations of Umi-Kongo just to the south; the Japan–US Friendship Memorial Hall, which commemorates the 1791 visit of the Boston ship Lady Washington; the famous Hashigui-iwa rocks visible from the mainland; and Cape Shio, the southernmost point of mainland Honshu, with its own historic lighthouse. The town of Kushimoto itself is renowned for fresh tuna and is recognized worldwide for the success of its fully farmed bluefin tuna program.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Wakayama
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Q&A
- When was the site designated a National Historic Site?
- The four components — the Kashinozaki Lighthouse, the Funagōra reef, the Landing Site, and the Memorial Cemetery — were collectively designated a National Historic Site of Japan on March 26, 2021. The lighthouse keeper's quarters had earlier been registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.
- Can I go inside the lighthouse?
- The interior of the lighthouse itself is not open to the public, but visitors can climb the external spiral staircase to a viewing platform and enjoy panoramic ocean views. The adjacent keeper's quarters can be entered and explored.
- How do I get there from Tokyo or Osaka?
- Take the JR Kisei Main Line (Kinokuni Line) to Kushimoto Station — about four hours by limited express from Shin-Osaka. From the station, the Kushimoto Town community bus on the Oshima route reaches "Kashino Todai-guchi" stop in roughly 40 minutes. A rental car offers more flexibility for combining the lighthouse with other sites on the island.
- When is the best time to visit?
- The site is beautiful year-round, but late January through February brings the celebrated daffodil bloom, while late spring and early summer offer warm light over the Pacific cliffs. September 16 — the anniversary of the Ertuğrul disaster — sees commemorative observances at the cemetery, and a major joint memorial ceremony is held every five years.
- Is there a small admission fee for any of the facilities?
- Access to the lighthouse grounds and the memorial cemetery is free. The Türkiye Memorial Museum charges a modest admission fee, with discounts for groups of fifteen or more. Please check the latest opening hours and prices on the Kushimoto Town official tourism website before visiting.
Basic Information
| Official Name | Kashinozaki Lighthouse and the Ertuğrul Incident Sites (樫野埼灯台及びエルトゥールル号遭難事件遺跡) |
|---|---|
| Designation | National Historic Site of Japan (designated March 26, 2021) |
| Component Sites | Kashinozaki Lighthouse / Funagōra Reef / Survivors' Landing Site / Memorial Cemetery for the Fallen Sailors |
| Location | Kashino, Kushimoto Town, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture (Kii Oshima Island) |
| Lighthouse Designer | Richard Henry Brunton (1841–1901), based on standard specifications by the Stevenson firm of Edinburgh |
| First Lit | July 8, 1870 (June 10 of the third year of Meiji, lunar calendar) |
| Lighthouse Specifications | Stone construction, height 14.6 m, focal height approximately 47 m above sea level, light range 18.5 nautical miles |
| Ertuğrul Incident | September 16, 1890 — 587 fatalities, 69 survivors out of 656 crew |
| National Park | Within Yoshino-Kumano National Park; Nankii-Kumano UNESCO Global Geopark site |
| Access | JR Kisei Main Line to Kushimoto Station, then Kushimoto community bus (Oshima Line) to Kashino Todai-guchi stop |
References
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kashinozaki Lighthouse and the Ertuğrul Incident Sites
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/541991
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — Modern Cultural Heritage: Kashinozaki Lighthouse
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/kindai/todai/071/index.html
- Kushimoto Town Official Site — National Historic Site Designation Announcement
- https://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/kyouiku/syakaikyouiku/2020-1120-0921-13.html
- Wakayama Prefecture Cultural Property Database
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai_839/
- Kushimoto Town — The Story That Bound Japan and Türkiye
- https://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/kanko/kizuna/turkey.html
- Kushimoto Town — Türkiye Memorial Museum
- https://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/kanko/oshima/torukokinenkan.html
- Kushimoto Town — Kashinozaki Lighthouse Former Keeper's Quarters
- https://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/kanko/oshima/kasinozakitoudaikyukansya.html
- Wakayama Prefecture — Origin of Japan-Türkiye Friendship
- https://www.pref.wakayama.lg.jp/prefg/022300/kokusaikouryu/torikumi/tyukeykouryu.html
- Nankii-Kumano Geopark — Kashinozaki
- https://nankikumanogeo.jp/geosite/kasinozaki/
- Nippon.com — 100 Years of Japan-Türkiye Diplomatic Relations
- https://www.nippon.com/ja/japan-data/h01895/
Last verified: 2026.05.04