The number of lighthouses (see bellow) across Japan is declining, but efforts are afloat to shine a light on the attractions of these facilities, which still perform a vital role along the nation's coastline.
Due to improvements in navigation technologies, such as the growing use of the global positioning system, almost 200 lighthouses have halted operations or merged in the past 15 years.
However, a certain number of lighthouses remains necessary to ensure ships safely navigate the seas around Japan. The Japan Coast Guard, which maintains the lighthouses, plans to raise awareness of these facilities' charm as tourist attractions and widely convey the reason for their existence.
Cape Inubosaki in Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, is the Kanto region's easternmost tip. There, the 31-meter-tall Inubosaki Lighthouse towers over the cape, surrounded on three sides by the sea. Built in 1874, the white lighthouse is a registered national tangible cultural property and more than 100,000 people visit it each year -- the most visitors for any lighthouse in Japan.
"When I hear the name 'Choshi,' an image of the lighthouse springs to mind," said a 51-year-old company employee from Yokohama, who drove with his wife to visit the lighthouse. "I'd always wanted to come and see it for myself. The view from the top was fabulous, and the white lighthouse looks amazing against the clear blue sky."
Last December, the Inubow Terasu Terrace commercial complex, featuring cafes and other shops, opened near the lighthouse.
In November this year, representatives of municipalities home to lighthouses nationwide will attend a "lighthouse world summit" scheduled to be held in Choshi.
"I hope the public and private sectors will work closely to bring even more visitors to Choshi," said Hirofumi Sasamoto, head of the Choshi city government's tourism and commerce section.
Manned lighthouses all gone
According to the Japan Coast Guard, 3,151 lighthouses dotted the nation's coastline as of March, 197 fewer than the peak figure recorded in March 2004.
The main reason for the decline is that some lighthouses became obsolete due to advances in navigational equipment and technology, such as GPS, that have made it easier for ships to accurately determine their location and route.
In addition, when several lighthouses are in close proximity, they are vulnerable to being shuttered or merged.
Operating and maintaining lighthouses has also become more difficult. The use of light-emitting diode bulbs has become more commonplace, enabling lighting sources to operate for longer periods before requiring replacement. The time and effort required to maintain and inspect lighthouses has been another factor behind the closures or mergers of such facilities. This has become even more so since the nation's last manned lighthouse -- Meshima Lighthouse in Nagasaki Prefecture -- became automated in 2006.
Compounding these issues, the JCG has in recent years been compelled to divert significant personnel and budget resources to security and other operations in the region around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
Sharing lighthouses' charms
Despite these headwinds, lighthouses still play an extremely important role when ships operate in narrow waterways or when poor weather reduces visibility.
To counter the argument that "lighthouses aren't needed," the JCG has embarked on a drive to convey lighthouses' charms by positioning them as tourist attractions and raising public awareness of their significance.
In fiscal 2017, a total of about 1.6 million people went to infrastructure facilities across the nation that the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry designated as available for tourists to visit.
Of those people, about 750,000 (47 percent) visited lighthouses, comfortably topping the approximately 390,000 people who toured ports and harbors, and roughly 290,000 people who went on trips to dams. Seventeen lighthouses in Japan have been declared national cultural properties, and distinctive lighthouses designed to give a nod to local history and traditions have also become popular.
In February this year, the JCG held the first meeting of a panel tasked with exploring how lighthouses could be used as a tourism resource. The panel members included academics and others who gushed about the beauty of lighthouses and their surrounding scenery, but other attendees also pointed out problems, including the "dearth of information" available on lighthouses.
The JCG created online editions of "lighthouse cards" featuring a photo and details such as a lighthouse's height and the brightness of its lights. Since last October, people can acquire these cards by smartphone when visiting one of 150 lighthouses around Japan. This popular feature has been accessed about 14,000 times per month.
The JCG is also considering launching a website containing extensive information about the nation's lighthouses.
"We want many people to know about the significance and value of lighthouses," a senior JCG official said. "That should lead to greater understanding of efforts to maintain and operate them."
Lighthouse
A navigation aid that shows ships where they should sail. The law on navigation aids stipulates the Japan Coast Guard is, on principle, responsible for establishing and operating lighthouses. There are 16 lighthouses in Japan that people can visit and even go inside. In 2018, a total of about 680,000 people visited these lighthouses.
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