Ogijima Lighthouse

Overview

Ogijima Lighthouse stands at Toga-hana, the northern tip of Ogijima island within the city of Takamatsu. Built of stone, it has long watched over ships passing through the Bisan Seto channel and sits within the Seto Inland Sea National Park.

Highlights

• ●A stone lighthouse completed in 1895 as sea traffic grew after the First Sino-Japanese War
• ●Built entirely of unpainted Aji granite, one of only three such lighthouses nationwide
• ●Designated a National Important Cultural Property and one of the 50 Lighthouses of Japan
• ●Set within Seto Inland Sea National Park, overlooking ships passing through the Bisan Seto channel

History

As maritime traffic through the Seto Inland Sea increased following the First Sino-Japanese War, the lighthouse was completed in 1895, after Richard Henry Brunton, known as the "father of Japanese lighthouses," had already left the country. It was built entirely by Japanese engineers at the eastern end of the Bisan Seto East shipping route, using locally quarried Aji granite for its construction.

Map

34.4338, 134.0607 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Take a regular ferry from Takamatsu Port to Ogijima
2. 2Walk from the pier across the island toward Toga-hana
3. 3Take in the view of the Seto Inland Sea and passing ships near the lighthouse
4. 4Check the return ferry schedule before heading back to the port

Did you know?

💡 Built entirely of unpainted granite, it is one of only three such lighthouses in Japan, alongside Tsunoshima and Mutsure-jima lighthouses in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Rated as an A-class preservation lighthouse for its historical value, it has been selected as one of the "50 Lighthouses of Japan" and designated a National Important Cultural Property.

Nearby spots