6 Lighthouses in Chiba worth your time

A coastal lighthouse and observation deck offering panoramic views of Kujukuri Beach and famous sunset vistas in Chiba.

What it is

• A lighthouse located on Cape Gyobu within the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park.
• A popular filming location featured in the movie Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side.
• A designated site among the top one hundred sunset viewing spots in Japan.
• A public facility overlooking the Iioka Fishing Port and Kujukuri Beach.

What to see

• The Gyobumisaki Observation Deck featuring a third-floor deck open twenty-four hours.
• A rooftop observatory providing a three-hundred-sixty-degree panoramic view of the coastline.
• Free binoculars installed at the observation facility for public use.

When to go

• Evening hours to witness the sunset from a top-rated national viewpoint.
• Any time of day or night to access the twenty-four-hour observation deck.

Getting there

• Take a bus from JR Asahi Station to the Iioka Todai-iriguchi bus stop.
• Walk ten minutes from the Iioka Todai-iriguchi bus stop to the site.
• On-site parking is available for visitors traveling by car or large bus.

Read more about Iioka Lighthouse

A white circular lighthouse on a high cliff offering views of the Pacific Ocean within a quasi-national park.

What it is

• A white circular medium-sized lighthouse tower located at Taito Cape in Chiba Prefecture.
• The current structure is the second generation lighthouse, established in November nineteen fifty.
• The facility stands on a fifty-eight meter high cliff within Minami Boso Quasi-National Park.
• It was moved one hundred meters inland from its original position due to coastal erosion.

What to see

• A sixteen meter tall white tower that projects light twenty-one nautical miles out to sea.
• Panoramic views of the coastline from the surrounding quasi-national park grounds.
• The unmanned facility and its grounds situated on a high coastal cliff.

Getting there

• The lighthouse is located four kilometers from JR Taito Station.
• An onsite parking lot is available for approximately ten cars.

Read more about Taitōsaki Lighthouse

A historic 15-meter concrete lighthouse marking Tokyo Bay's entrance, famous for its coastal views and cultural heritage status.

What it is

• A 15-meter cylindrical concrete tower located within the Minamiboso Quasi-National Park.
• The westernmost lighthouse on the southern Boso Peninsula, marking the boundary of Tokyo Bay.
• A registered tangible cultural property of Japan that first began operating in 1919.
• A resilient structure that survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and 1945 air raids.

What to see

• The historic white concrete tower standing at the edge of the peninsula.
• Coastal views of the boundary between the Pacific Ocean and Tokyo Bay.
• The filming location used in the AKB48 music video for the song Aitakatta.

Getting there

• Accessible by taking a bus from JR Tateyama Station.
• Located near the Chiba Prefectural Road 257 in Tateyama City.

Official site

www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp

Read more about Sunosaki Lighthouse

A historic octagonal lighthouse at Cape Nojima offering museum exhibits and coastal views from its climbable concrete tower.

What it is

• A white octagonal concrete lighthouse located within the Minamiboso-quasi-National Park.
• One of eight treaty lighthouses originally established under the 1866 Edo Treaty.
• A registered National Tangible Cultural Property first lit in January 1870.
• The current structure dates to 1925 after the original brick tower collapsed in an earthquake.

What to see

• The 1925 concrete tower designed to replace the original French-engineered brick structure.
• The Kirarin-kan museum located on the lighthouse grounds.
• Interior stairs that visitors can climb for a fee to see the surrounding cape.

When to go

• Visit on November 1st for free admission during Lighthouse Day.

Official site

www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp

Read more about Nojimasaki Lighthouse

A historic brick lighthouse designed by Richard Henry Brunton, offering panoramic views and a rare first-order Fresnel lens.

What it is

• A National Important Cultural Property first lit on November 15, 1874
• Designed and supervised by British engineer Richard Henry Brunton
• Built using approximately 193,000 domestically produced bricks
• A 31.3 meter tall structure located within Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park

What to see

• A first-order Fresnel lens used to project the light
• A spiral staircase with 99 steps leading to the observatory
• A unique white circular mailbox located on the lighthouse grounds

When to go

• Admission is free on Lighthouse Day, November 1st

Getting there

• A ten-minute walk from Inuboh Station

Official site

www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp

Read more about Inubōsaki Lighthouse

A unique 1880 lighthouse blending Japanese and Western architecture, built by locals on a hill to guide ships after the war.

What it is

• A historic lighthouse completed in 1880 on the former site of Asama Shrine
• Constructed using funds from local volunteers following the Boshin War
• Designated as a Tangible Folk Cultural Property and a Landscape Important Building
• Operated as a government-authorized private lighthouse until 1895

What to see

• A three-story tower standing on a hill twenty-seven meters high
• Japanese architectural styles featured on the first and second floors
• A third-floor lantern room designed with Western architectural elements
• Historical light source equipment including oil lamps and tin reflectors

Read more about Funabashi Daijingū Tōmyōdai