Ōkunoshima Lighthouse, Navigation lighthouse on Okunoshima Island, Japan.
Ōkunoshima Lighthouse is a white granite tower topped with a cast iron cupola, featuring a black spiral staircase inside and white walls throughout the interior. The structure stands roughly 5 meters tall with a circular base approximately 4 meters across.
The lighthouse was built in 1893 during the Mid-Meiji Period to guide ships through Seto Inland Sea waters. The island itself housed a military chemical facility for many years before its transformation into a nature preserve.
This lighthouse marks a place where maritime history meets nature, situated on an island that shifted from military use to wildlife sanctuary. The wild rabbits now roaming here reflect this remarkable transformation.
Reaching this site requires taking a ferry from Tadanoumi port, with service running several times daily throughout the day. Clear weather days offer the best visibility for enjoying the views from the top across the surrounding waters and islands.
Visitors can climb the spiral staircase to reach a viewpoint where they might spot the wild rabbits freely roaming across the island below. This unusual pairing of a working lighthouse with a rabbit sanctuary creates an experience found nowhere else nearby.
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