7 Lighthouses in Okinawa worth your time

A 1974 lighthouse on 30-meter cliffs offering panoramic East China Sea views and a climbable tower for visitors.

What it is

• A lighthouse first lit in 1974 located in Yomitan Village, Okinawa.
• A structure built on cliffs measuring 30 to 40 meters high.
• Part of the Okinawa Kaigan Quasi-National Park area.
• A former site used as a United States military firing range.

What to see

• Views overlooking the East China Sea from the cliffside.
• A lighthouse exhibition room located on the first floor.
• The top of the lighthouse which visitors can climb for a fee.
• The surrounding coastal scenery of the Quasi-National Park.

When to go

• Operating hours from May to September are 9:30 to 16:30.

Getting there

• Accessible by bus from Naha Airport.

Official site

www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp

Read more about Cape Zanpa Lighthouse

A remote solar-powered lighthouse on a tiny uninhabited island accessible only by chartered boat from Miyakojima.

What it is

• A lighthouse situated on the uninhabited island of Fudeiwa in Miyakojima City.
• The structure was rebuilt in 1980 using a fiber reinforced plastic tower.
• Management of the site was assumed by the Japan Coast Guard in 1972.
• The facility operates using solar cells and light emitting diodes for power.

What to see

• The fiber reinforced plastic lighthouse tower standing on the small island.
• An emergency heliport located on the west side of the lighthouse structure.
• The surrounding uninhabited island terrain covering only 0.002 square kilometers.

Getting there

• Access requires chartering a private fishing boat as no scheduled ferries exist.

Read more about Fudeiwa Lighthouse

The brightest lighthouse in Okinawa, this historic structure on Ikemajima Island offers views of the surrounding Sakishima Beacons.

What it is

• The brightest lighthouse in Okinawa Prefecture, located on the northern tip of Ikemajima Island.
• The first lighthouse built in the Sakishima Islands, originally lit in December 1940.
• A rebuilt tower completed in 1986 after the original structure was destroyed in 1945.
• A functional facility managed by the Japan Coast Guard providing wind and pressure data.

What to see

• The white lighthouse tower standing on the northern coastline.
• The surrounding Sakishima Beacons located in the nearby area.
• Onsite instruments used for measuring wind direction and air pressure.

Getting there

• The site is a forty-five minute drive from Miyako Airport.

Read more about Ikemajima Lighthouse

A functional lighthouse marking the westernmost point of Japan, offering views where the East China Sea meets the Pacific.

What it is

• The westernmost lighthouse in Japan, located at Cape Irisaki on Yonaguni Island.
• Established in 1957 by the Government of the Ryukyu Islands to aid navigation.
• A working facility that provides meteorological data including wind speed and air pressure.
• Managed by the Japan Coast Guard since the 1972 reversion to Japan.

What to see

• The reconstructed lighthouse tower which dates back to March 1980.
• An auxiliary light designed specifically to illuminate a nearby reef for safety.
• Panoramic views of the boundary of the East China Sea.
• A modern metal halide lamp system installed during the 1997 update.

Official site

www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp

Read more about Irisaki Lighthouse

A historic lighthouse on Ishigaki Island's northern tip offering panoramic ocean views and a romantic atmosphere for visitors.

What it is

• The northernmost point of Ishigaki Island on the Hirakubo Peninsula.
• A maritime facility constructed by the Ryukyu government in 1965.
• A certified Lover's Lighthouse managed by the Japan Coast Guard.
• The former site of a seventeenth century watchtower for monitoring ships.

What to see

• The white lighthouse tower standing at the edge of the peninsula.
• A certification sign designating the location as a Lover's Lighthouse.
• The designated national historic site of the original ship watchtower.
• Panoramic views of the surrounding ocean from the northern tip.

Read more about Hirakubosaki Lighthouse

A solar-powered lighthouse on the Yarabu Peninsula offering views of the coastline and a memorial to a 1952 shipwreck.

What it is

• A seventeen meter tall lighthouse located on the western part of the Yarabu Peninsula.
• The facility began operation on March 11, 1983.
• The Japan Coast Guard officially refers to this structure as Ogansaki.
• The light source is powered by solar cells.

What to see

• The white lighthouse tower standing seventeen meters above the peninsula.
• A memorial dedicated to the ship Yaeyama Maru located nearby.
• Views of the offshore area where the Yaeyama Maru was wrecked in 1952.

Read more about Ishigaki Ogansaki Lighthouse

The southernmost lighthouse in inhabited Japan, marking the boundary between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

What it is

• The southernmost lighthouse located in an inhabited area of Japan.
• Built by the Government of the Ryukyu Islands and first lit in 1959.
• Managed by the Japan Coast Guard since the 1972 transfer.
• A navigational structure situated in the center of Hateruma Island.

What to see

• A reconstructed lighthouse tower completed in December 1986.
• The geographic border where the East China Sea meets the Pacific.
• Views from the central point of the southernmost inhabited island.

Read more about Haterumajima Lighthouse