Cape Inubō
Encyclopedia
is a cape
on the Pacific Ocean
, in Chōshi
, Chiba Prefecture
, Japan
. The cape is near the midpoint of the Japanese Archipelago
on the island of Honshū
.
's pet dog Wakamaru was left behind on the peninsula, he howled for seven days and nights. Another explanation is that the region was home to numerous Japanese sea lions
, whose barking voice resembles that of a dog. The name may also be of ancient Ainu
origin.
, but is customarily referred to as a cape. While references exist to the Inubō Peninsula, the name has fallen out of use. An extensive marine cave exists in the reef areas under the lighthouse. The cape forms the easternmost point in Chiba Prefecture, close to the mouth of the Tone River
. It is part of Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park.
, built in 1874. It is notable as one of the few lighthouses whose original lens was a first order Fresnel lens
, the strongest type of Fresnel lens. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan
.
author Kyoshi Takahama
(1874 – 1959) and Naturalist tanka poet Bokusui Wakayama (1885 – 1928) are on the cape.
of the Chōshi Electric Railway Line, or 20 minutes by bus from the JR East
Chōshi Station
.
Cape (geography)
In geography, a cape or headland is a point or body of land extending into a body of water, usually the sea.A cape usually represents a marked change in trend of the coastline. Their proximity to the coastline makes them prone to natural forms of erosion, mainly tidal actions. This results in capes...
on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, in Chōshi
Choshi, Chiba
is a city located on the Pacific Ocean coast of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the easternmost city in the Greater Tokyo Area. The easternmost point in the Greater Tokyo Area is Cape Inubō....
, Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The cape is near the midpoint of the Japanese Archipelago
Japanese Archipelago
The , which forms the country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland, washing upon the northwestern shores of the Pacific Ocean...
on the island of Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
.
Origin of name
The name of the cape is constructed from two Chinese characters, the first (犬) meaning "dog", and the second (吠) meaning "howling." Various traditions exist as to the origin of the name, one being that when Minamoto no YoshitsuneMinamoto no Yoshitsune
was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...
's pet dog Wakamaru was left behind on the peninsula, he howled for seven days and nights. Another explanation is that the region was home to numerous Japanese sea lions
Japanese Sea Lion
The Japanese Sea Lion is thought to have become extinct in the 1970s. Prior to 2003 it was considered to be a subspecies of California Sea Lion as Zalophus californianus japonicus. However, it was subsequently reclassified as a separate species. Some taxonomists still consider it as a subspecies...
, whose barking voice resembles that of a dog. The name may also be of ancient Ainu
Ainu language
Ainu is one of the Ainu languages, spoken by members of the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō....
origin.
Geography
Cape Inubō is technically a small peninsulaPeninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, but is customarily referred to as a cape. While references exist to the Inubō Peninsula, the name has fallen out of use. An extensive marine cave exists in the reef areas under the lighthouse. The cape forms the easternmost point in Chiba Prefecture, close to the mouth of the Tone River
Tone River
The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length and has a drainage area of...
. It is part of Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park.
Inubōsaki Lighthouse
Cape Inubō is noted for its Inubōsaki LighthouseInubōsaki Lighthouse
is a lighthouse on Cape Inubō, in the city of Chōshi, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is notable as one of the few lighthouses whose original lens was a first order Fresnel lens, the strongest type of Fresnel lens. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan...
, built in 1874. It is notable as one of the few lighthouses whose original lens was a first order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
, the strongest type of Fresnel lens. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan
Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan
as defined by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties are Cultural PropertiesIn this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple definition, e.g "Cultural Properties" as opposed to "cultural properties"...
.
Cape Inubō in literature
Cape Inubō is mentioned in numerous literary works. Markers related to the poems of Shōwa periodShowa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
author Kyoshi Takahama
Kyoshi Takahama
was a Japanese poet active during the Shōwa period of Japan. His real name was ; Kyoshi was a pen name. He was one of the closest disciples of Masaoka Shiki.-Early life:...
(1874 – 1959) and Naturalist tanka poet Bokusui Wakayama (1885 – 1928) are on the cape.
Transport
The cape is 10 minutes by foot from the Inuboh StationInuboh Station
is a railway station on the Chōshi Electric Railway Line in Chōshi, Chiba, Japan.-Lines:Inuboh Station is served by the Chōshi Electric Railway Line from to . It is located between and Tokawa stations, and is a distance of 5.5 rail km from Chōshi Station....
of the Chōshi Electric Railway Line, or 20 minutes by bus from the JR East
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
Chōshi Station
Choshi Station
is a railway station in Chōshi, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Chōshi Station is the eastern terminal station of the Sōbu Main Line and and serves some through trains on the Narita Line to and . It is from the western terminus of the Sōbu Main Line at Tokyo Station...
.