Mihonoseki Lighthouse, Maritime navigation tower in Mihonoseki, Japan

Mihonoseki Lighthouse is a white stone tower on Mount Machaku at Jizozaki, the eastern tip of the Shimane Peninsula. Its cylindrical lower shaft is built of rough-cut white blocks, with a rounded annex attached at the right. Above the stone shaft, a black metal gallery railing encircles the tower, topped by a white-paneled lantern room with large windows and a domed cap. A black sign in front reads "美保関灯台".

Designed by a French engineer and built by stonemason Tsunetaro Teramoto of Kanae, Mihonoseki, the tower first lit on 8 November 1898 as Jizozaki Lighthouse, with a first-order lens at 67,500 candela. It was electrified in 1922, renamed Mihonoseki Lighthouse in 1935 because many capes shared the name Jizozaki, and automated in 1962. In 2022 it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan alongside Izumo Hinomisaki and Esaki lighthouses.

The lighthouse stands near Miho Shrine, where fishermen traditionally honor Ebisu, the deity of commerce and safety at sea. This connection reveals how deeply maritime concerns shaped the spiritual life of the local community.

The journey requires leaving from JR Matsue Station and taking a bus for about 80 minutes to reach Mihonoseki village. From there, you can walk or drive a short distance to the lighthouse, which sits on an exposed coastal point where weather can be changeable.

The lighthouse was designed under French engineers and built by Teramoto Tsunetaro, a stonemason from Katae in Mihonoseki. In 1930 the poets Yosano Tekkan and Akiko visited Jizozaki, and their poems are carved on a stone monument in front of the lighthouse.