Tsunoshima Lighthouse (角島灯台, tsunoshima tōdai) is a lighthouse on the island of Tsunoshima in the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.[4] It is notable as being one of only six lighthouses in Japan which had a first order Fresnel lens, the most powerful type of Fresnel lens.

Tsunoshima Lighthouse
Tsunoshima Tōdai
角島灯台
Tsunoshima Lighthouse
Map
LocationTsunoshima
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
Japan
Coordinates34°21′08.9″N 130°50′27.7″E / 34.352472°N 130.841028°E / 34.352472; 130.841028
Tower
ConstructedMarch 1, 1876 (1876-03-01)
Constructiongranite tower
Height29.62 metres (97.2 ft)
Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markingsunpainted tower, white lantern
Light
Focal height44.66 metres (146.5 ft)
LensFirst order Fresnel
Intensity670,000 Candela[1]
1,400,00 cd[2]
Range18.5 nautical miles (34.3 km; 21.3 mi)[1]
CharacteristicFl. W 5s[1]
Japan no.JCG-0715[3]

History edit

Work began in August 1873.[5] The lighthouse was first lit on March 1, 1876, in the Meiji period of Japan. It was one of the lighthouses designed by Richard Henry Brunton, who was hired by the government of Japan to help construct lighthouses to make coastal waters safe for foreign ships to approach, after Japan opened up to the West.

Access edit

The lighthouse is open to the public. It is accessible by car, bicycle, or public transportation; specifically by bus from Kottoi Station.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c 角島灯台 (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  2. ^ Tunosima Japan Coast Guard (in Japanese)
  3. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Japan: Western Yamaguchi". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  4. ^ "角島" [Tsunoshima]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  5. ^ Maloney, Iain (2023). The Japan lights. Tippermuir Books Ltd, Perth, Scotland. ISBN 9781913836320.
  6. ^ "アクセス". Tsunoshima Navi. Retrieved 31 December 2010.

External links edit